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Theobald S, Vesth TC, Geib E, Nybo JL, Frisvad JC, Larsen TO, Kuo A, LaButti K, Lyhne EK, Kjærbølling I, Ledsgaard L, Barry K, Clum A, Chen C, Nolan M, Sandor L, Lipzen A, Mondo S, Pangilinan J, Salamov A, Riley R, Wiebenga A, Müller A, Kun RS, dos Santos Gomes AC, Henrissat B, Magnuson JK, Simmons BA, Mäkelä MR, Mortensen UH, Grigoriev IV, Brock M, Baker SE, de Vries RP, Andersen MR. Genomic Analysis of Aspergillus Section Terrei Reveals a High Potential in Secondary Metabolite Production and Plant Biomass Degradation. J Fungi (Basel) 2024; 10:507. [PMID: 39057392 PMCID: PMC11278011 DOI: 10.3390/jof10070507] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/11/2024] [Revised: 07/17/2024] [Accepted: 07/18/2024] [Indexed: 07/28/2024] Open
Abstract
Aspergillus terreus has attracted interest due to its application in industrial biotechnology, particularly for the production of itaconic acid and bioactive secondary metabolites. As related species also seem to possess a prosperous secondary metabolism, they are of high interest for genome mining and exploitation. Here, we present draft genome sequences for six species from Aspergillus section Terrei and one species from Aspergillus section Nidulantes. Whole-genome phylogeny confirmed that section Terrei is monophyletic. Genome analyses identified between 70 and 108 key secondary metabolism genes in each of the genomes of section Terrei, the highest rate found in the genus Aspergillus so far. The respective enzymes fall into 167 distinct families with most of them corresponding to potentially unique compounds or compound families. Moreover, 53% of the families were only found in a single species, which supports the suitability of species from section Terrei for further genome mining. Intriguingly, this analysis, combined with heterologous gene expression and metabolite identification, suggested that species from section Terrei use a strategy for UV protection different to other species from the genus Aspergillus. Section Terrei contains a complete plant polysaccharide degrading potential and an even higher cellulolytic potential than other Aspergilli, possibly facilitating additional applications for these species in biotechnology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sebastian Theobald
- Department of Biotechnology and Bioengineering, Technical University of Denmark, 2800 Kongens Lyngby, Denmark; (S.T.); (T.C.V.); (J.L.N.); (J.C.F.); (T.O.L.); (E.K.L.); (I.K.); (L.L.); (B.H.); (U.H.M.)
| | - Tammi C. Vesth
- Department of Biotechnology and Bioengineering, Technical University of Denmark, 2800 Kongens Lyngby, Denmark; (S.T.); (T.C.V.); (J.L.N.); (J.C.F.); (T.O.L.); (E.K.L.); (I.K.); (L.L.); (B.H.); (U.H.M.)
| | - Elena Geib
- School of Life Sciences, University of Nottingham, Nottingham NG7 2RD, UK; (E.G.); (M.B.)
| | - Jane L. Nybo
- Department of Biotechnology and Bioengineering, Technical University of Denmark, 2800 Kongens Lyngby, Denmark; (S.T.); (T.C.V.); (J.L.N.); (J.C.F.); (T.O.L.); (E.K.L.); (I.K.); (L.L.); (B.H.); (U.H.M.)
| | - Jens C. Frisvad
- Department of Biotechnology and Bioengineering, Technical University of Denmark, 2800 Kongens Lyngby, Denmark; (S.T.); (T.C.V.); (J.L.N.); (J.C.F.); (T.O.L.); (E.K.L.); (I.K.); (L.L.); (B.H.); (U.H.M.)
| | - Thomas O. Larsen
- Department of Biotechnology and Bioengineering, Technical University of Denmark, 2800 Kongens Lyngby, Denmark; (S.T.); (T.C.V.); (J.L.N.); (J.C.F.); (T.O.L.); (E.K.L.); (I.K.); (L.L.); (B.H.); (U.H.M.)
| | - Alan Kuo
- US Department of Energy Joint Genome Institute, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA; (A.K.); (K.L.); (K.B.); (A.C.); (C.C.); (M.N.); (L.S.); (A.L.); (S.M.); (J.P.); (A.S.); (R.R.); (I.V.G.)
| | - Kurt LaButti
- US Department of Energy Joint Genome Institute, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA; (A.K.); (K.L.); (K.B.); (A.C.); (C.C.); (M.N.); (L.S.); (A.L.); (S.M.); (J.P.); (A.S.); (R.R.); (I.V.G.)
| | - Ellen K. Lyhne
- Department of Biotechnology and Bioengineering, Technical University of Denmark, 2800 Kongens Lyngby, Denmark; (S.T.); (T.C.V.); (J.L.N.); (J.C.F.); (T.O.L.); (E.K.L.); (I.K.); (L.L.); (B.H.); (U.H.M.)
| | - Inge Kjærbølling
- Department of Biotechnology and Bioengineering, Technical University of Denmark, 2800 Kongens Lyngby, Denmark; (S.T.); (T.C.V.); (J.L.N.); (J.C.F.); (T.O.L.); (E.K.L.); (I.K.); (L.L.); (B.H.); (U.H.M.)
| | - Line Ledsgaard
- Department of Biotechnology and Bioengineering, Technical University of Denmark, 2800 Kongens Lyngby, Denmark; (S.T.); (T.C.V.); (J.L.N.); (J.C.F.); (T.O.L.); (E.K.L.); (I.K.); (L.L.); (B.H.); (U.H.M.)
| | - Kerrie Barry
- US Department of Energy Joint Genome Institute, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA; (A.K.); (K.L.); (K.B.); (A.C.); (C.C.); (M.N.); (L.S.); (A.L.); (S.M.); (J.P.); (A.S.); (R.R.); (I.V.G.)
| | - Alicia Clum
- US Department of Energy Joint Genome Institute, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA; (A.K.); (K.L.); (K.B.); (A.C.); (C.C.); (M.N.); (L.S.); (A.L.); (S.M.); (J.P.); (A.S.); (R.R.); (I.V.G.)
| | - Cindy Chen
- US Department of Energy Joint Genome Institute, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA; (A.K.); (K.L.); (K.B.); (A.C.); (C.C.); (M.N.); (L.S.); (A.L.); (S.M.); (J.P.); (A.S.); (R.R.); (I.V.G.)
| | - Matt Nolan
- US Department of Energy Joint Genome Institute, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA; (A.K.); (K.L.); (K.B.); (A.C.); (C.C.); (M.N.); (L.S.); (A.L.); (S.M.); (J.P.); (A.S.); (R.R.); (I.V.G.)
| | - Laura Sandor
- US Department of Energy Joint Genome Institute, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA; (A.K.); (K.L.); (K.B.); (A.C.); (C.C.); (M.N.); (L.S.); (A.L.); (S.M.); (J.P.); (A.S.); (R.R.); (I.V.G.)
| | - Anna Lipzen
- US Department of Energy Joint Genome Institute, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA; (A.K.); (K.L.); (K.B.); (A.C.); (C.C.); (M.N.); (L.S.); (A.L.); (S.M.); (J.P.); (A.S.); (R.R.); (I.V.G.)
| | - Stephen Mondo
- US Department of Energy Joint Genome Institute, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA; (A.K.); (K.L.); (K.B.); (A.C.); (C.C.); (M.N.); (L.S.); (A.L.); (S.M.); (J.P.); (A.S.); (R.R.); (I.V.G.)
| | - Jasmyn Pangilinan
- US Department of Energy Joint Genome Institute, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA; (A.K.); (K.L.); (K.B.); (A.C.); (C.C.); (M.N.); (L.S.); (A.L.); (S.M.); (J.P.); (A.S.); (R.R.); (I.V.G.)
| | - Asaf Salamov
- US Department of Energy Joint Genome Institute, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA; (A.K.); (K.L.); (K.B.); (A.C.); (C.C.); (M.N.); (L.S.); (A.L.); (S.M.); (J.P.); (A.S.); (R.R.); (I.V.G.)
| | - Robert Riley
- US Department of Energy Joint Genome Institute, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA; (A.K.); (K.L.); (K.B.); (A.C.); (C.C.); (M.N.); (L.S.); (A.L.); (S.M.); (J.P.); (A.S.); (R.R.); (I.V.G.)
| | - Ad Wiebenga
- Fungal Physiology, Westerdijk Fungal Biodiversity Institute and Fungal Molecular Physiology, Utrecht University, 3584 Utrecht, The Netherlands; (A.W.); (A.M.); (R.S.K.); (A.C.d.S.G.)
| | - Astrid Müller
- Fungal Physiology, Westerdijk Fungal Biodiversity Institute and Fungal Molecular Physiology, Utrecht University, 3584 Utrecht, The Netherlands; (A.W.); (A.M.); (R.S.K.); (A.C.d.S.G.)
| | - Roland S. Kun
- Fungal Physiology, Westerdijk Fungal Biodiversity Institute and Fungal Molecular Physiology, Utrecht University, 3584 Utrecht, The Netherlands; (A.W.); (A.M.); (R.S.K.); (A.C.d.S.G.)
| | - Ana Carolina dos Santos Gomes
- Fungal Physiology, Westerdijk Fungal Biodiversity Institute and Fungal Molecular Physiology, Utrecht University, 3584 Utrecht, The Netherlands; (A.W.); (A.M.); (R.S.K.); (A.C.d.S.G.)
| | - Bernard Henrissat
- Department of Biotechnology and Bioengineering, Technical University of Denmark, 2800 Kongens Lyngby, Denmark; (S.T.); (T.C.V.); (J.L.N.); (J.C.F.); (T.O.L.); (E.K.L.); (I.K.); (L.L.); (B.H.); (U.H.M.)
- Department of Biological Sciences, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah 21589, Saudi Arabia
| | - Jon K. Magnuson
- Environmental Molecular Sciences Division, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland, WA 99354, USA; (J.K.M.); (B.A.S.)
- US Department of Energy Joint Bioenergy Institute, 5885 Hollis St., Emeryville, CA 94608, USA
| | - Blake A. Simmons
- Environmental Molecular Sciences Division, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland, WA 99354, USA; (J.K.M.); (B.A.S.)
- Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
| | - Miia R. Mäkelä
- Department of Microbiology, University of Helsinki, Viikinkaari 9, 00014 Helsinki, Finland;
| | - Uffe H. Mortensen
- Department of Biotechnology and Bioengineering, Technical University of Denmark, 2800 Kongens Lyngby, Denmark; (S.T.); (T.C.V.); (J.L.N.); (J.C.F.); (T.O.L.); (E.K.L.); (I.K.); (L.L.); (B.H.); (U.H.M.)
| | - Igor V. Grigoriev
- US Department of Energy Joint Genome Institute, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA; (A.K.); (K.L.); (K.B.); (A.C.); (C.C.); (M.N.); (L.S.); (A.L.); (S.M.); (J.P.); (A.S.); (R.R.); (I.V.G.)
- Department of Plant and Microbial Biology, University of California Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
| | - Matthias Brock
- School of Life Sciences, University of Nottingham, Nottingham NG7 2RD, UK; (E.G.); (M.B.)
| | - Scott E. Baker
- Environmental Molecular Sciences Division, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland, WA 99354, USA; (J.K.M.); (B.A.S.)
- US Department of Energy Joint Bioenergy Institute, 5885 Hollis St., Emeryville, CA 94608, USA
| | - Ronald P. de Vries
- Fungal Physiology, Westerdijk Fungal Biodiversity Institute and Fungal Molecular Physiology, Utrecht University, 3584 Utrecht, The Netherlands; (A.W.); (A.M.); (R.S.K.); (A.C.d.S.G.)
| | - Mikael R. Andersen
- Department of Biotechnology and Bioengineering, Technical University of Denmark, 2800 Kongens Lyngby, Denmark; (S.T.); (T.C.V.); (J.L.N.); (J.C.F.); (T.O.L.); (E.K.L.); (I.K.); (L.L.); (B.H.); (U.H.M.)
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Sequeira SO, Pasnak E, Viegas C, Gomes B, Dias M, Cervantes R, Pena P, Twarużek M, Kosicki R, Viegas S, Caetano LA, Penetra MJ, Silva I, Caldeira AT, Pinheiro C. Microbial Assessment in A Rare Norwegian Book Collection: A One Health Approach to Cultural Heritage. Microorganisms 2024; 12:1215. [PMID: 38930597 PMCID: PMC11206040 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms12061215] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/27/2024] [Revised: 06/11/2024] [Accepted: 06/12/2024] [Indexed: 06/28/2024] Open
Abstract
Microbial contamination poses a threat to both the preservation of library and archival collections and the health of staff and users. This study investigated the microbial communities and potential health risks associated with the UNESCO-classified Norwegian Sea Trade Archive (NST Archive) collection exhibiting visible microbial colonization and staff health concerns. Dust samples from book surfaces and the storage environment were analysed using culturing methods, qPCR, Next Generation Sequencing, and mycotoxin, cytotoxicity, and azole resistance assays. Penicillium sp., Aspergillus sp., and Cladosporium sp. were the most common fungi identified, with some potentially toxic species like Stachybotrys sp., Toxicladosporium sp., and Aspergillus section Fumigati. Fungal resistance to azoles was not detected. Only one mycotoxin, sterigmatocystin, was found in a heavily contaminated book. Dust extracts from books exhibited moderate to high cytotoxicity on human lung cells, suggesting a potential respiratory risk. The collection had higher contamination levels compared to the storage environment, likely due to improved storage conditions. Even though overall low contamination levels were obtained, these might be underestimated due to the presence of salt (from cod preservation) that could have interfered with the analyses. This study underlines the importance of monitoring microbial communities and implementing proper storage measures to safeguard cultural heritage and staff well-being.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sílvia O. Sequeira
- LAQV-REQUIMTE, Department of Conservation and Restoration, NOVA School of Sciences and Technology, NOVA University of Lisbon, Campus da Caparica, 2829-516 Caparica, Portugal;
- Laboratório José de Figueiredo, Museus e Monumentos de Portugal, Rua das Janelas Verdes, 1249-018 Lisbon, Portugal;
| | - Ekaterina Pasnak
- LAQV-REQUIMTE, Department of Conservation and Restoration, NOVA School of Sciences and Technology, NOVA University of Lisbon, Campus da Caparica, 2829-516 Caparica, Portugal;
| | - Carla Viegas
- H&TRC—Health & Technology Research Center, ESTeSL—Escola Superior de Tecnologia e Saúde, Instituto Politécnico de Lisboa, 1990-096 Lisbon, Portugal; (B.G.); (M.D.); (R.C.); (P.P.); (L.A.C.)
- Public Health Research Centre, Comprehensive Health Research Center, CHRC, REAL, CCAL, NOVA National School of Public Health, NOVA University Lisbon, 1099-085 Lisbon, Portugal;
| | - Bianca Gomes
- H&TRC—Health & Technology Research Center, ESTeSL—Escola Superior de Tecnologia e Saúde, Instituto Politécnico de Lisboa, 1990-096 Lisbon, Portugal; (B.G.); (M.D.); (R.C.); (P.P.); (L.A.C.)
- CE3C—Center for Ecology, Evolution and Environmental Change, Faculdade de Ciências, Universidade de Lisboa, 1749-016 Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Marta Dias
- H&TRC—Health & Technology Research Center, ESTeSL—Escola Superior de Tecnologia e Saúde, Instituto Politécnico de Lisboa, 1990-096 Lisbon, Portugal; (B.G.); (M.D.); (R.C.); (P.P.); (L.A.C.)
- Public Health Research Centre, Comprehensive Health Research Center, CHRC, REAL, CCAL, NOVA National School of Public Health, NOVA University Lisbon, 1099-085 Lisbon, Portugal;
| | - Renata Cervantes
- H&TRC—Health & Technology Research Center, ESTeSL—Escola Superior de Tecnologia e Saúde, Instituto Politécnico de Lisboa, 1990-096 Lisbon, Portugal; (B.G.); (M.D.); (R.C.); (P.P.); (L.A.C.)
- Public Health Research Centre, Comprehensive Health Research Center, CHRC, REAL, CCAL, NOVA National School of Public Health, NOVA University Lisbon, 1099-085 Lisbon, Portugal;
| | - Pedro Pena
- H&TRC—Health & Technology Research Center, ESTeSL—Escola Superior de Tecnologia e Saúde, Instituto Politécnico de Lisboa, 1990-096 Lisbon, Portugal; (B.G.); (M.D.); (R.C.); (P.P.); (L.A.C.)
- Public Health Research Centre, Comprehensive Health Research Center, CHRC, REAL, CCAL, NOVA National School of Public Health, NOVA University Lisbon, 1099-085 Lisbon, Portugal;
| | - Magdalena Twarużek
- Department of Physiology and Toxicology, Faculty of Biological Sciences, Kazimierz Wielki University, Chodkiewicza 30, 85-064 Bydgoszcz, Poland; (M.T.); (R.K.)
| | - Robert Kosicki
- Department of Physiology and Toxicology, Faculty of Biological Sciences, Kazimierz Wielki University, Chodkiewicza 30, 85-064 Bydgoszcz, Poland; (M.T.); (R.K.)
| | - Susana Viegas
- Public Health Research Centre, Comprehensive Health Research Center, CHRC, REAL, CCAL, NOVA National School of Public Health, NOVA University Lisbon, 1099-085 Lisbon, Portugal;
| | - Liliana Aranha Caetano
- H&TRC—Health & Technology Research Center, ESTeSL—Escola Superior de Tecnologia e Saúde, Instituto Politécnico de Lisboa, 1990-096 Lisbon, Portugal; (B.G.); (M.D.); (R.C.); (P.P.); (L.A.C.)
- Research Institute for Medicines (iMed.uLisboa), Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Lisbon, 1649-003 Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Maria João Penetra
- HERCULES Laboratory, Évora University, Palácio do Vimioso, Largo Marquês de Marialva 8, 7000-809 Évora, Portugal; (M.J.P.); (I.S.); (A.T.C.)
| | - Inês Silva
- HERCULES Laboratory, Évora University, Palácio do Vimioso, Largo Marquês de Marialva 8, 7000-809 Évora, Portugal; (M.J.P.); (I.S.); (A.T.C.)
- IN2PAST—Associate Laboratory for Research and Innovation in Heritage, Arts, Sustainability and Territory, University of Évora, Largo Marquês de Marialva 8, 7000-809 Évora, Portugal
| | - Ana Teresa Caldeira
- HERCULES Laboratory, Évora University, Palácio do Vimioso, Largo Marquês de Marialva 8, 7000-809 Évora, Portugal; (M.J.P.); (I.S.); (A.T.C.)
- IN2PAST—Associate Laboratory for Research and Innovation in Heritage, Arts, Sustainability and Territory, University of Évora, Largo Marquês de Marialva 8, 7000-809 Évora, Portugal
| | - Catarina Pinheiro
- Laboratório José de Figueiredo, Museus e Monumentos de Portugal, Rua das Janelas Verdes, 1249-018 Lisbon, Portugal;
- HERCULES Laboratory, Évora University, Palácio do Vimioso, Largo Marquês de Marialva 8, 7000-809 Évora, Portugal; (M.J.P.); (I.S.); (A.T.C.)
- IN2PAST—Associate Laboratory for Research and Innovation in Heritage, Arts, Sustainability and Territory, University of Évora, Largo Marquês de Marialva 8, 7000-809 Évora, Portugal
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Fageräng B, Götz MP, Cyranka L, Lau C, Nilsson PH, Mollnes TE, Garred P. The Inflammatory Response Induced by Aspergillus fumigatus Conidia Is Dependent on Complement Activation: Insight from a Whole Blood Model. J Innate Immun 2024; 16:324-336. [PMID: 38768576 PMCID: PMC11250388 DOI: 10.1159/000539368] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/19/2023] [Accepted: 05/13/2024] [Indexed: 05/22/2024] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION We aimed to elucidate the inflammatory response of Aspergillus fumigatus conidia in a whole-blood model of innate immune activation and to compare it with the well-characterized inflammatory reaction to Escherichia coli. METHODS Employing a human lepirudin whole-blood model, we analyzed complement and leukocyte activation by measuring the sC5b-9 complex and assessing CD11b expression. A 27-multiplex system was used for quantification of cytokines. Selective cell removal from whole blood and inhibition of C3, C5, and CD14 were also applied. RESULTS Our findings demonstrated a marked elevation in sC5b-9 and CD11b post-A. fumigatus incubation. Thirteen cytokines (TNF, IL-1β, IL-1ra, IL-4, IL-6, IL-8, IL-17, IFNγ, MCP-1, MIP-1α, MIP-1β, FGF-basic, and G-CSF) showed increased levels. A generally lower level of cytokine release and CD11b expression was observed with A. fumigatus conidia than with E. coli. Notably, monocytes were instrumental in releasing all cytokines except MCP-1. IL-1ra was found to be both monocyte and granulocyte-dependent. Pre-inhibiting with C3 and CD14 inhibitors resulted in decreased release patterns for six cytokines (TNF, IL-1β, IL-6, IL-8, MIP-1α, and MIP-1β), with minimal effects by C5-inhibition. CONCLUSION A. fumigatus conidia induced complement activation comparable to E. coli, whereas CD11b expression and cytokine release were lower, underscoring distinct inflammatory responses between these pathogens. Complement C3 inhibition attenuated cytokine release indicating a C3-level role of complement in A. fumigatus immunity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Beatrice Fageräng
- Department of Immunology, Oslo University Hospital, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
- Laboratory of Molecular Medicine, Department of Clinical Immunology, Section 7631, Rigshospitalet, and Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Maximilian Peter Götz
- Laboratory of Molecular Medicine, Department of Clinical Immunology, Section 7631, Rigshospitalet, and Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Leon Cyranka
- Laboratory of Molecular Medicine, Department of Clinical Immunology, Section 7631, Rigshospitalet, and Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Corinna Lau
- Research Laboratory, Nordland Hospital, Bodø, Norway
| | - Per H. Nilsson
- Department of Immunology, Oslo University Hospital, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
- Linnæus Center of Biomaterials Chemistry, Linnæus University, Kalmar, Sweden
- Department of Chemistry and Biomedical Sciences, Linnaeus University, Kalmar, Sweden
| | - Tom Eirik Mollnes
- Department of Immunology, Oslo University Hospital, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
- Research Laboratory, Nordland Hospital, Bodø, Norway
| | - Peter Garred
- Laboratory of Molecular Medicine, Department of Clinical Immunology, Section 7631, Rigshospitalet, and Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
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Sonnberger J, Kasper L, Lange T, Brunke S, Hube B. "We've got to get out"-Strategies of human pathogenic fungi to escape from phagocytes. Mol Microbiol 2024; 121:341-358. [PMID: 37800630 DOI: 10.1111/mmi.15149] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2023] [Revised: 08/08/2023] [Accepted: 08/16/2023] [Indexed: 10/07/2023]
Abstract
Human fungal pathogens are a deadly and underappreciated risk to global health that most severely affect immunocompromised individuals. A virulence attribute shared by some of the most clinically relevant fungal species is their ability to survive inside macrophages and escape from these immune cells. In this review, we discuss the mechanisms behind intracellular survival and elaborate how escape is mediated by lytic and non-lytic pathways as well as strategies to induce programmed host cell death. We also discuss persistence as an alternative to rapid host cell exit. In the end, we address the consequences of fungal escape for the host immune response and provide future perspectives for research and development of targeted therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Johannes Sonnberger
- Department of Microbial Pathogenicity Mechanisms, Hans Knoell Institute, Jena, Germany
| | - Lydia Kasper
- Department of Microbial Pathogenicity Mechanisms, Hans Knoell Institute, Jena, Germany
| | - Theresa Lange
- Department of Microbial Pathogenicity Mechanisms, Hans Knoell Institute, Jena, Germany
| | - Sascha Brunke
- Department of Microbial Pathogenicity Mechanisms, Hans Knoell Institute, Jena, Germany
| | - Bernhard Hube
- Department of Microbial Pathogenicity Mechanisms, Hans Knoell Institute, Jena, Germany
- Institute of Microbiology, Friedrich Schiller University, Jena, Germany
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Thakur R, Shishodia SK, Sharma A, Chauhan A, Kaur S, Shankar J. Accelerating the understanding of Aspergillus terreus: Epidemiology, physiology, immunology and advances. CURRENT RESEARCH IN MICROBIAL SCIENCES 2024; 6:100220. [PMID: 38303967 PMCID: PMC10831165 DOI: 10.1016/j.crmicr.2024.100220] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/03/2024] Open
Abstract
Aspergillus species encompass a variety of infections, ranging from invasive aspergillosis to allergic conditions, contingent upon the immune status of the host. In this spectrum, Aspergillus terreus stands out due to its emergence as a notable pathogen and its intrinsic resistance to amphotericin-B. The significance of Aspergillus-associated infections has witnessed a marked increase in the past few decades, particularly with the increasing number of immunocompromised individuals. The exploration of epidemiology, morphological transitions, immunopathology, and novel treatment approaches such as new antifungal drugs (PC945, olorofim) and combinational therapy using antifungal drugs and phytochemicals (Phytochemicals: quercetin, shikonin, artemisinin), also using immunotherapies to modulate immune response has resulted in better outcomes. Furthermore, in the context COVID-19 era and its aftermath, fungal infections have emerged as a substantial challenge for both immunocompromised and immunocompetent individuals. This is attributed to the use of immune-suppressing therapies during COVID-19 infections and the increase in transplant cases. Consequently, this review aims to provide an updated overview encompassing the epidemiology, germination events, immunopathology, and novel drug treatment strategies against Aspergillus terreus-associated infections.
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Affiliation(s)
- Raman Thakur
- Department of Medical Laboratory Science, Lovely Professional University, Jalandhar, Punjab, India
| | | | - Ananya Sharma
- Genomic Laboratory, Department of Biotechnology and Bioinformatics, Jaypee University of Information Technology, Waknaghat Solan, Himachal Pradesh, India
| | - Arjun Chauhan
- Department of Biotechnology, Institute of Applied Sciences and Humanities, GLA University, Mathura, Uttar Pradesh, India
| | - Sumanpreet Kaur
- Department of Medical Laboratory Science, Lovely Professional University, Jalandhar, Punjab, India
| | - Jata Shankar
- Genomic Laboratory, Department of Biotechnology and Bioinformatics, Jaypee University of Information Technology, Waknaghat Solan, Himachal Pradesh, India
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Miramón P, Pountain AW, Lorenz MC. Candida auris-macrophage cellular interactions and transcriptional response. Infect Immun 2023; 91:e0027423. [PMID: 37815367 PMCID: PMC10652981 DOI: 10.1128/iai.00274-23] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/14/2023] [Accepted: 08/29/2023] [Indexed: 10/11/2023] Open
Abstract
The pathogenic yeast Candida auris represents a global threat of the utmost clinical relevance. This emerging fungal species is remarkable in its resistance to commonly used antifungal agents and its persistence in the nosocomial settings. The innate immune system is one the first lines of defense preventing the dissemination of pathogens in the host. C. auris is susceptible to circulating phagocytes, and understanding the molecular details of these interactions may suggest routes to improved therapies. In this work, we examined the interactions of this yeast with macrophages. We found that macrophages avidly phagocytose C. auris; however, intracellular replication is not inhibited, indicating that C. auris resists the killing mechanisms imposed by the phagocyte. Unlike Candida albicans, phagocytosis of C. auris does not induce macrophage lysis. The transcriptional response of C. auris to macrophage phagocytosis is very similar to other members of the CUG clade (C. albicans, C. tropicalis, C. parapsilosis, C. lusitaniae), i.e., downregulation of transcription/translation and upregulation of alternative carbon metabolism pathways, transporters, and induction of oxidative stress response and proteolysis. Gene family expansions are common in this yeast, and we found that many of these genes are induced in response to macrophage co-incubation. Among these, amino acid and oligopeptide transporters, as well as lipases and proteases, are upregulated. Thus, C. auris shares key transcriptional signatures shared with other fungal pathogens and capitalizes on the expansion of gene families coding for potential virulence attributes that allow its survival, persistence, and evasion of the innate immune system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pedro Miramón
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, McGovern Medical School, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, USA
| | | | - Michael C. Lorenz
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, McGovern Medical School, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, USA
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7
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Mirhakkak MH, Chen X, Ni Y, Heinekamp T, Sae-Ong T, Xu LL, Kurzai O, Barber AE, Brakhage AA, Boutin S, Schäuble S, Panagiotou G. Genome-scale metabolic modeling of Aspergillus fumigatus strains reveals growth dependencies on the lung microbiome. Nat Commun 2023; 14:4369. [PMID: 37474497 PMCID: PMC10359302 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-39982-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/27/2022] [Accepted: 07/03/2023] [Indexed: 07/22/2023] Open
Abstract
Aspergillus fumigatus, an opportunistic human pathogen, frequently infects the lungs of people with cystic fibrosis and is one of the most common causes of infectious-disease death in immunocompromised patients. Here, we construct 252 strain-specific, genome-scale metabolic models of this important fungal pathogen to study and better understand the metabolic component of its pathogenic versatility. The models show that 23.1% of A. fumigatus metabolic reactions are not conserved across strains and are mainly associated with amino acid, nucleotide, and nitrogen metabolism. Profiles of non-conserved reactions and growth-supporting reaction fluxes are sufficient to differentiate strains, for example by environmental or clinical origin. In addition, shotgun metagenomics analysis of sputum from 40 cystic fibrosis patients (15 females, 25 males) before and after diagnosis with an A. fumigatus colonization suggests that the fungus shapes the lung microbiome towards a more beneficial fungal growth environment associated with aromatic amino acid availability and the shikimate pathway. Our findings are starting points for the development of drugs or microbiome intervention strategies targeting fungal metabolic needs for survival and colonization in the non-native environment of the human lung.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mohammad H Mirhakkak
- Department of Microbiome Dynamics, Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology (Leibniz-HKI), 07745, Jena, Germany
| | - Xiuqiang Chen
- Department of Microbiome Dynamics, Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology (Leibniz-HKI), 07745, Jena, Germany
| | - Yueqiong Ni
- Department of Microbiome Dynamics, Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology (Leibniz-HKI), 07745, Jena, Germany
| | - Thorsten Heinekamp
- Department of Molecular and Applied Microbiology, Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology (Leibniz-HKI), 07745, Jena, Germany
| | - Tongta Sae-Ong
- Department of Microbiome Dynamics, Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology (Leibniz-HKI), 07745, Jena, Germany
| | - Lin-Lin Xu
- Department of Microbiome Dynamics, Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology (Leibniz-HKI), 07745, Jena, Germany
| | - Oliver Kurzai
- Institute for Hygiene and Microbiology, University of Würzburg, 97080, Würzburg, Germany
- Research Group Fungal Septomics, Leibniz Institute of Natural Product Research and Infection Biology (Leibniz-HKI), 07745, Jena, Germany
- National Reference Center for Invasive Fungal Infections (NRZMyk), Leibniz Institute of Natural Product Research and Infection Biology (Leibniz-HKI), 07745, Jena, Germany
| | - Amelia E Barber
- Junior Research Group Fungal Informatics, Institute of Microbiology, Friedrich-Schiller-University Jena, 07745, Jena, Germany
| | - Axel A Brakhage
- Department of Molecular and Applied Microbiology, Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology (Leibniz-HKI), 07745, Jena, Germany
- Institute of Microbiology, Friedrich Schiller University Jena, 07745, Jena, Germany
| | - Sebastien Boutin
- Department of Infectious Diseases and Microbiology, University of Lübeck, 23562, Lübeck, Germany
- Translational Lung Research Center Heidelberg (TLRC), German Center for Lung Research (DZL), University of Heidelberg, 69120, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Sascha Schäuble
- Department of Microbiome Dynamics, Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology (Leibniz-HKI), 07745, Jena, Germany.
| | - Gianni Panagiotou
- Department of Microbiome Dynamics, Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology (Leibniz-HKI), 07745, Jena, Germany.
- Department of Medicine and State Key Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China.
- Friedrich Schiller University, Faculty of Biological Sciences, Jena, 07745, Germany.
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8
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Kakoschke TK, Kleinemeier C, Knösel T, Kakoschke SC, Ebel F. The Novel Monoclonal IgG 1-Antibody AB90-E8 as a Diagnostic Tool to Rapidly Distinguish Aspergillus fumigatus from Other Human Pathogenic Aspergillus Species. J Fungi (Basel) 2023; 9:622. [PMID: 37367559 DOI: 10.3390/jof9060622] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/01/2023] [Revised: 05/22/2023] [Accepted: 05/23/2023] [Indexed: 06/28/2023] Open
Abstract
In most cases, invasive aspergillosis (IA) is caused by A. fumigatus, though infections with other Aspergillus spp. with lower susceptibilities to amphotericin B (AmB) gain ground. A. terreus, for instance, is the second leading cause of IA in humans and of serious concern because of its high propensity to disseminate and its in vitro and in vivo resistance to AmB. An early differentiation between A. fumigatus and non-A. fumigatus infections could swiftly recognize a potentially ineffective treatment with AmB and lead to the lifesaving change to a more appropriate drug regime in high-risk patients. In this study, we present the characteristics of the monoclonal IgG1-antibody AB90-E8 that specifically recognizes a surface antigen of A. fumigatus and the closely related, but not human pathogenic A. fischeri. We show immunostainings on fresh frozen sections as well as on incipient mycelium picked from agar plates with tweezers or by using the expeditious tape mount technique. All three methods have a time advantage over the common procedures currently used in the routine diagnosis of IA and outline the potential of AB90-E8 as a rapid diagnostic tool.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tamara Katharina Kakoschke
- Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery and Facial Plastic Surgery, University Hospital, Ludwig-Maximilians-University Munich, Lindwurmstrasse 2a, 80337 Munich, Germany
- Institute for Infectious Diseases and Zoonoses, Ludwig-Maximilians-University Munich, 85764 Oberschleissheim, Germany
| | - Christoph Kleinemeier
- Institute for Infectious Diseases and Zoonoses, Ludwig-Maximilians-University Munich, 85764 Oberschleissheim, Germany
| | - Thomas Knösel
- Institute of Pathology, Ludwig-Maximilians-University Munich, 81377 Munich, Germany
| | - Sara Carina Kakoschke
- Department of General, Visceral and Transplant Surgery, University Hospital, Ludwig-Maximilians-University Munich, Marchioninistrasse 15, 81337 Munich, Germany
| | - Frank Ebel
- Institute for Infectious Diseases and Zoonoses, Ludwig-Maximilians-University Munich, 85764 Oberschleissheim, Germany
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9
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Lange T, Kasper L, Gresnigt MS, Brunke S, Hube B. "Under Pressure" - How fungi evade, exploit, and modulate cells of the innate immune system. Semin Immunol 2023; 66:101738. [PMID: 36878023 PMCID: PMC10109127 DOI: 10.1016/j.smim.2023.101738] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/06/2022] [Indexed: 03/06/2023]
Abstract
The human immune system uses an arsenal of effector mechanisms to prevent and counteract infections. Yet, some fungal species are extremely successful as human pathogens, which can be attributed to a wide variety of strategies by which these fungi evade, exploit, and modulate the immune system. These fungal pathogens normally are either harmless commensals or environmental fungi. In this review we discuss how commensalism, but also life in an environmental niche without human contact, can drive the evolution of diverse and specialized immune evasion mechanisms. Correspondingly, we discuss the mechanisms contributing to the ability of these fungi to cause superficial to life-threatening infections.
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Affiliation(s)
- Theresa Lange
- Department of Microbial Pathogenicity Mechanisms, Hans Knoell Institute, Jena, Germany
| | - Lydia Kasper
- Department of Microbial Pathogenicity Mechanisms, Hans Knoell Institute, Jena, Germany
| | - Mark S Gresnigt
- Junior Research Group Adaptive Pathogenicity Strategies, Hans Knoell Institute, Jena, Germany
| | - Sascha Brunke
- Department of Microbial Pathogenicity Mechanisms, Hans Knoell Institute, Jena, Germany
| | - Bernhard Hube
- Department of Microbial Pathogenicity Mechanisms, Hans Knoell Institute, Jena, Germany; Institute of Microbiology, Friedrich Schiller University, Jena, Germany.
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10
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Henß I, Kleinemeier C, Strobel L, Brock M, Löffler J, Ebel F. Characterization of Aspergillus terreus Accessory Conidia and Their Interactions With Murine Macrophages. Front Microbiol 2022; 13:896145. [PMID: 35783442 PMCID: PMC9245049 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2022.896145] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/14/2022] [Accepted: 04/27/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
All Aspergillus species form phialidic conidia (PC) when the mycelium is in contact with the air. These small, asexual spores are ideally suited for an airborne dissemination in the environment. Aspergillus terreus and a few closely related species from section Terrei can additionally generate accessory conidia (AC) that directly emerge from the hyphal surface. In this study, we have identified galactomannan as a major surface antigen on AC that is largely absent from the surface of PC. Galactomannan is homogeneously distributed over the entire surface of AC and even detectable on nascent AC present on the hyphal surface. In contrast, β-glucans are only accessible in distinct structures that occur after separation of the conidia from the hyphal surface. During germination, AC show a very limited isotropic growth that has no detectable impact on the distribution of galactomannan. The AC of the strain used in this study germinate much faster than the corresponding PC, and they are more sensitive to desiccation than PC. During infection of murine J774 macrophages, AC are readily engulfed and trigger a strong tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNFα) response. Both processes are not hampered by the presence of laminarin, which indicates that β-glucans only play a minor role in these interactions. In the phagosome, we observed that galactomannan, but not β-glucan, is released from the conidial surface and translocates to the host cell cytoplasm. AC persist in phagolysosomes, and many of them initiate germination within 24 h. In conclusion, we have identified galactomannan as a novel and major antigen on AC that clearly distinguishes them from PC. The role of this fungal-specific carbohydrate in the interactions with the immune system remains an open issue that needs to be addressed in future research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Isabell Henß
- Institute for Infectious Diseases and Zoonoses, Ludwig-Maximilians-University Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Christoph Kleinemeier
- Institute for Infectious Diseases and Zoonoses, Ludwig-Maximilians-University Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Lea Strobel
- Department of Internal Medicine II, University Hospital of Wuerzburg, Wuerzburg, Germany
| | - Matthias Brock
- Fungal Genetics and Biology, School of Life Sciences, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, United Kingdom
| | - Jürgen Löffler
- Department of Internal Medicine II, University Hospital of Wuerzburg, Wuerzburg, Germany
| | - Frank Ebel
- Institute for Infectious Diseases and Zoonoses, Ludwig-Maximilians-University Munich, Munich, Germany
- *Correspondence: Frank Ebel
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11
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Ferreira MDS, Mendoza SR, Gonçalves DDS, Rodríguez-de la Noval C, Honorato L, Nimrichter L, Ramos LFC, Nogueira FCS, Domont GB, Peralta JM, Guimarães AJ. Recognition of Cell Wall Mannosylated Components as a Conserved Feature for Fungal Entrance, Adaptation and Survival Within Trophozoites of Acanthamoeba castellanii and Murine Macrophages. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2022; 12:858979. [PMID: 35711659 PMCID: PMC9194641 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2022.858979] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/20/2022] [Accepted: 03/28/2022] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Acanthamoeba castellanii (Ac) is a species of free-living amoebae (FLAs) that has been widely applied as a model for the study of host-parasite interactions and characterization of environmental symbionts. The sharing of niches between Ac and potential pathogens, such as fungi, favors associations between these organisms. Through predatory behavior, Ac enhances fungal survival, dissemination, and virulence in their intracellular milieu, training these pathogens and granting subsequent success in events of infections to more evolved hosts. In recent studies, our group characterized the amoeboid mannose binding proteins (MBPs) as one of the main fungal recognition pathways. Similarly, mannose-binding lectins play a key role in activating antifungal responses by immune cells. Even in the face of similarities, the distinct impacts and degrees of affinity of fungal recognition for mannose receptors in amoeboid and animal hosts are poorly understood. In this work, we have identified high-affinity ligands for mannosylated fungal cell wall residues expressed on the surface of amoebas and macrophages and determined the relative importance of these pathways in the antifungal responses comparing both phagocytic models. Mannose-purified surface proteins (MPPs) from both phagocytes showed binding to isolated mannose/mannans and mannosylated fungal cell wall targets. Although macrophage MPPs had more intense binding when compared to the amoeba receptors, the inhibition of this pathway affects fungal internalization and survival in both phagocytes. Mass spectrometry identified several MPPs in both models, and in silico alignment showed highly conserved regions between spotted amoeboid receptors (MBP and MBP1) and immune receptors (Mrc1 and Mrc2) and potential molecular mimicry, pointing to a possible convergent evolution of pathogen recognition mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marina da Silva Ferreira
- Laboratório de Bioquímica e Imunologia das Micoses, Departamento de Microbiologia e Parasitologia, Instituto Biomédico, Universidade Federal Fluminense, Niterói, Brazil
- Pós-Graduação em Imunologia e Inflamação, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Susana Ruiz Mendoza
- Laboratório de Bioquímica e Imunologia das Micoses, Departamento de Microbiologia e Parasitologia, Instituto Biomédico, Universidade Federal Fluminense, Niterói, Brazil
- Pós-Graduação em Imunologia e Inflamação, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Diego de Souza Gonçalves
- Laboratório de Bioquímica e Imunologia das Micoses, Departamento de Microbiologia e Parasitologia, Instituto Biomédico, Universidade Federal Fluminense, Niterói, Brazil
- Pós-Graduação em Doenças Infecciosas e Parasitárias, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Claudia Rodríguez-de la Noval
- Laboratório de Bioquímica e Imunologia das Micoses, Departamento de Microbiologia e Parasitologia, Instituto Biomédico, Universidade Federal Fluminense, Niterói, Brazil
| | - Leandro Honorato
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ciências (Microbiologia), Instituto de Microbiologia Professor Paulo de Góes, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
- Laboratório de Glicobiologia de Eucariotos, Instituto de Microbiologia Professor Paulo de Góes, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Leonardo Nimrichter
- Laboratório de Glicobiologia de Eucariotos, Instituto de Microbiologia Professor Paulo de Góes, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
- Rede Micologia RJ - FAPERJ, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Luís Felipe Costa Ramos
- Laboratório de Química de Proteínas, Departamento de Bioquímica, Instituto de Química, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Fábio C. S. Nogueira
- Laboratório de Química de Proteínas, Departamento de Bioquímica, Instituto de Química, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Gilberto B. Domont
- Laboratório de Química de Proteínas, Departamento de Bioquímica, Instituto de Química, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - José Mauro Peralta
- Departamento de Imunologia, Instituto de Microbiologia Paulo de Góes, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Allan J. Guimarães
- Laboratório de Bioquímica e Imunologia das Micoses, Departamento de Microbiologia e Parasitologia, Instituto Biomédico, Universidade Federal Fluminense, Niterói, Brazil
- Pós-Graduação em Imunologia e Inflamação, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
- Rede Micologia RJ - FAPERJ, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Microbiologia e Parasitologia Aplicadas, Instituto Biomédico, Universidade Federal Fluminense, Niterói, Brazil
- *Correspondence: Allan J. Guimarães,
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12
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Cytotoxicity of Aspergillus Section Fumigati Isolated from Health Care Environments. J Fungi (Basel) 2021; 7:jof7100839. [PMID: 34682260 PMCID: PMC8539694 DOI: 10.3390/jof7100839] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/25/2021] [Revised: 10/05/2021] [Accepted: 10/05/2021] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
This study analyzed 57 Aspergillus section Fumigati (AF) isolates collected by active and passive sampling (N = 450) in several health care facilities and from biological sampling of health care workers (N = 25) and controls (N = 22) in Portugal. All isolates were cultured in different media and screened for azole resistance. Cytotoxicity was assessed for 40 isolates in lung epithelial cells and kidney cells using the MTT assay. Aspergillus section Fumigati was prevalent in the health care facilities and in nasal swabs from health care workers and controls. All AF isolates reduced cell viability and presented medium to high cytotoxicity, with cytotoxicity being significantly higher in A549 lung epithelial cells. The cytotoxicity of isolates from air and nasal swab samples suggested the inhalation route as a risk factor. Notably, 42% of AF isolates exhibited a pattern of reduced susceptibility to some of the most used antifungals available for the treatment of patients infected with these fungi. In sum, the epidemiology and clinical relevance of Aspergillus section Fumigati should continue to be addressed. A deeper understanding of the mechanisms underlying Aspergillus-mediated cytotoxicity is necessary.
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McLean SA, Cullen L, Gardam DJ, Schofield CJ, Laucirica DR, Sutanto EN, Ling KM, Stick SM, Peacock CS, Kicic A, Garratt LW. Cystic Fibrosis Clinical Isolates of Aspergillus fumigatus Induce Similar Muco-inflammatory Responses in Primary Airway Epithelial Cells. Pathogens 2021; 10:pathogens10081020. [PMID: 34451484 PMCID: PMC8399118 DOI: 10.3390/pathogens10081020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2021] [Revised: 08/03/2021] [Accepted: 08/11/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Aspergillus is increasingly associated with lung inflammation and mucus plugging in early cystic fibrosis (CF) disease during which conidia burden is low and strains appear to be highly diverse. It is unknown whether clinical Aspergillus strains vary in their capacity to induce epithelial inflammation and mucus production. We tested the hypothesis that individual colonising strains of Aspergillus fumigatus would induce different responses. Ten paediatric CF Aspergillus isolates were compared along with two systemically invasive clinical isolates and an ATCC reference strain. Isolates were first characterised by ITS gene sequencing and screened for antifungal susceptibility. Three clusters (A-C) of Aspergillus isolates were identified by ITS. Antifungal susceptibility was variable, particularly for itraconazole. Submerged CF and non-CF monolayers as well as differentiated primary airway epithelial cell cultures were incubated with conidia for 24 h to allow germination. None of the clinical isolates were found to significantly differ from one another in either IL-6 or IL-8 release or gene expression of secretory mucins. Clinical Aspergillus isolates appear to be largely homogenous in their mucostimulatory and immunostimulatory capacities and, therefore, only the antifungal resistance characteristics are likely to be clinically important.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samantha A. McLean
- Wal-Yan Respiratory Research Centre, Telethon Kids Institute, University of Western Australia, Crawley 6009, Australia; (S.A.M.); (C.J.S.); (D.R.L.); (E.N.S.); (K.-M.L.); (S.M.S.); (A.K.)
| | - Leilani Cullen
- Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Western Australia, Crawley 6009, Australia; (L.C.); (C.S.P.)
| | - Dianne J. Gardam
- PathWest Laboratory Medicine WA, Fiona Stanley Hospital, Murdoch 6150, Australia;
| | - Craig J. Schofield
- Wal-Yan Respiratory Research Centre, Telethon Kids Institute, University of Western Australia, Crawley 6009, Australia; (S.A.M.); (C.J.S.); (D.R.L.); (E.N.S.); (K.-M.L.); (S.M.S.); (A.K.)
| | - Daniel R. Laucirica
- Wal-Yan Respiratory Research Centre, Telethon Kids Institute, University of Western Australia, Crawley 6009, Australia; (S.A.M.); (C.J.S.); (D.R.L.); (E.N.S.); (K.-M.L.); (S.M.S.); (A.K.)
- Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Western Australia, Crawley 6009, Australia; (L.C.); (C.S.P.)
| | - Erika N. Sutanto
- Wal-Yan Respiratory Research Centre, Telethon Kids Institute, University of Western Australia, Crawley 6009, Australia; (S.A.M.); (C.J.S.); (D.R.L.); (E.N.S.); (K.-M.L.); (S.M.S.); (A.K.)
| | - Kak-Ming Ling
- Wal-Yan Respiratory Research Centre, Telethon Kids Institute, University of Western Australia, Crawley 6009, Australia; (S.A.M.); (C.J.S.); (D.R.L.); (E.N.S.); (K.-M.L.); (S.M.S.); (A.K.)
- Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Western Australia, Crawley 6009, Australia; (L.C.); (C.S.P.)
| | - Stephen M. Stick
- Wal-Yan Respiratory Research Centre, Telethon Kids Institute, University of Western Australia, Crawley 6009, Australia; (S.A.M.); (C.J.S.); (D.R.L.); (E.N.S.); (K.-M.L.); (S.M.S.); (A.K.)
- Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Western Australia, Crawley 6009, Australia; (L.C.); (C.S.P.)
- Department of Respiratory and Sleep Medicine, Perth Children’s Hospital, Nedlands 6009, Australia
| | - Christopher S. Peacock
- Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Western Australia, Crawley 6009, Australia; (L.C.); (C.S.P.)
| | - Anthony Kicic
- Wal-Yan Respiratory Research Centre, Telethon Kids Institute, University of Western Australia, Crawley 6009, Australia; (S.A.M.); (C.J.S.); (D.R.L.); (E.N.S.); (K.-M.L.); (S.M.S.); (A.K.)
- Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Western Australia, Crawley 6009, Australia; (L.C.); (C.S.P.)
- Department of Respiratory and Sleep Medicine, Perth Children’s Hospital, Nedlands 6009, Australia
- Occupation and Environment, School of Public Health, Curtin University, Bentley 6102, Australia
| | - Luke W. Garratt
- Wal-Yan Respiratory Research Centre, Telethon Kids Institute, University of Western Australia, Crawley 6009, Australia; (S.A.M.); (C.J.S.); (D.R.L.); (E.N.S.); (K.-M.L.); (S.M.S.); (A.K.)
- Correspondence:
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Abstract
Infections due to Aspergillus species are an acute threat to human health; members of the Aspergillus section Fumigati are the most frequently occurring agents, but depending on the local epidemiology, representatives of section Terrei or section Flavi are the second or third most important. Aspergillus terreus species complex is of great interest, as it is usually amphotericin B resistant and displays notable differences in immune interactions in comparison to Aspergillus fumigatus. The latest epidemiological surveys show an increased incidence of A. terreus as well as an expanding clinical spectrum (chronic infections) and new groups of at-risk patients being affected. Hallmarks of these non-Aspergillus fumigatus invasive mold infections are high potential for tissue invasion, dissemination, and possible morbidity due to mycotoxin production. We seek to review the microbiology, epidemiology, and pathogenesis of A. terreus species complex, address clinical characteristics, and highlight the underlying mechanisms of amphotericin B resistance. Selected topics will contrast key elements of A. terreus with A. fumigatus. We provide a comprehensive resource for clinicians dealing with fungal infections and researchers working on A. terreus pathogenesis, aiming to bridge the emerging translational knowledge and future therapeutic challenges on this opportunistic pathogen.
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15
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Valsecchi I, Stephen-Victor E, Wong SSW, Karnam A, Sunde M, Guijarro JI, Rodríguez de Francisco B, Krüger T, Kniemeyer O, Brown GD, Willment JA, Latgé JP, Brakhage AA, Bayry J, Aimanianda V. The Role of RodA-Conserved Cysteine Residues in the Aspergillus fumigatus Conidial Surface Organization. J Fungi (Basel) 2020; 6:jof6030151. [PMID: 32859091 PMCID: PMC7558875 DOI: 10.3390/jof6030151] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/09/2020] [Revised: 08/21/2020] [Accepted: 08/24/2020] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Immune inertness of Aspergillusfumigatus conidia is attributed to its surface rodlet-layer made up of RodAp, characterized by eight conserved cysteine residues forming four disulfide bonds. Earlier, we showed that the conserved cysteine residue point (ccrp) mutations result in conidia devoid of the rodlet layer. Here, we extended our study comparing the surface organization and immunoreactivity of conidia carrying ccrp-mutations with the RODA deletion mutant (∆rodA). Western blot analysis using anti-RodAp antibodies indicated the absence of RodAp in the cytoplasm of ccrp-mutant conidia. Immunolabeling revealed differential reactivity to conidial surface glucans, the ccrp-mutant conidia preferentially binding to α-(1,3)-glucan, ∆rodA conidia selectively bound to β-(1,3)-glucan; the parental strain conidia showed negative labeling. However, permeability of ccrp-mutants and ∆rodA was similar to the parental strain conidia. Proteomic analyses of the conidial surface exposed proteins of the ccrp-mutants showed more similarities with the parental strain, but were significantly different from the ∆rodA. Ccrp-mutant conidia were less immunostimulatory compared to ∆rodA conidia. Our data suggest that (i) the conserved cysteine residues are essential for the trafficking of RodAp and the organization of the rodlet layer on the conidial surface, and (ii) targeted point mutation could be an alternative approach to study the role of fungal cell-wall genes in host–fungal interaction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Isabel Valsecchi
- Aspergillus Unit, Institut Pasteur, 75015 Paris, France; (I.V.); (J.-P.L.)
| | - Emmanuel Stephen-Victor
- Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale, Centre de Recherché des Cordeliers, Sorbonne Université, Université de Paris, 75006 Paris, France; (E.S.-V.); (A.K.)
| | - Sarah Sze Wah Wong
- Molecular Mycology Unit, Institut Pasteur, CNRS-UMR-2000, 10098 Paris, France;
| | - Anupama Karnam
- Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale, Centre de Recherché des Cordeliers, Sorbonne Université, Université de Paris, 75006 Paris, France; (E.S.-V.); (A.K.)
| | - Margaret Sunde
- School of Medical Sciences and Sydney Nano, University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales (NSW) 2006, Australia;
| | - J. Iñaki Guijarro
- Biological NMR Technological Platform, Institut Pasteur, CNRS-UMR-3528, 75015 Paris, France; (J.I.G.); (B.R.d.F.)
| | - Borja Rodríguez de Francisco
- Biological NMR Technological Platform, Institut Pasteur, CNRS-UMR-3528, 75015 Paris, France; (J.I.G.); (B.R.d.F.)
| | - Thomas Krüger
- Department of Molecular and Applied Microbiology, Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology, 07745 Jena, Germany; (T.K.); (O.K.); (A.A.B.)
| | - Olaf Kniemeyer
- Department of Molecular and Applied Microbiology, Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology, 07745 Jena, Germany; (T.K.); (O.K.); (A.A.B.)
| | - Gordon D. Brown
- Medical Research Council Centre for Medical Mycology (MRC CMM), University of Exeter, Exeter EX4 4QD, UK; (G.D.B.); (J.A.W.)
| | - Janet A. Willment
- Medical Research Council Centre for Medical Mycology (MRC CMM), University of Exeter, Exeter EX4 4QD, UK; (G.D.B.); (J.A.W.)
| | - Jean-Paul Latgé
- Aspergillus Unit, Institut Pasteur, 75015 Paris, France; (I.V.); (J.-P.L.)
| | - Axel A. Brakhage
- Department of Molecular and Applied Microbiology, Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology, 07745 Jena, Germany; (T.K.); (O.K.); (A.A.B.)
- Institute of Microbiology, Friedrich Schiller University, 07745 Jena, Germany
| | - Jagadeesh Bayry
- Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale, Centre de Recherché des Cordeliers, Sorbonne Université, Université de Paris, 75006 Paris, France; (E.S.-V.); (A.K.)
- Correspondence: (J.B.); (V.A.); Tel.: +33-1-44278203 (J.B.); +33-1-45688225 (V.A.)
| | - Vishukumar Aimanianda
- Molecular Mycology Unit, Institut Pasteur, CNRS-UMR-2000, 10098 Paris, France;
- Correspondence: (J.B.); (V.A.); Tel.: +33-1-44278203 (J.B.); +33-1-45688225 (V.A.)
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16
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Ferling I, Dunn JD, Ferling A, Soldati T, Hillmann F. Conidial Melanin of the Human-Pathogenic Fungus Aspergillus fumigatus Disrupts Cell Autonomous Defenses in Amoebae. mBio 2020; 11:e00862-20. [PMID: 32457245 PMCID: PMC7251208 DOI: 10.1128/mbio.00862-20] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/08/2020] [Accepted: 04/23/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The human-pathogenic fungus Aspergillus fumigatus is a ubiquitous saprophyte that causes fatal lung infections in immunocompromised individuals. Following inhalation, conidia are ingested by innate immune cells and can arrest phagolysosome maturation. How this virulence trait could have been selected for in natural environments is unknown. Here, we found that surface exposure of the green pigment 1,8-dihydroxynaphthalene-(DHN)-melanin can protect conidia from phagocytic uptake and intracellular killing by the fungivorous amoeba Protostelium aurantium and delays its exocytosis from the nonfungivorous species Dictyostelium discoideum To elucidate the antiphagocytic properties of the surface pigment, we followed the antagonistic interactions of A. fumigatus conidia with the amoebae in real time. For both amoebae, conidia covered with DHN-melanin were internalized at far lower rates than were seen with conidia lacking the pigment, despite high rates of initial attachment to nonkilling D. discoideum When ingested by D. discoideum, the formation of nascent phagosomes was followed by transient acidification of phagolysosomes, their subsequent neutralization, and, finally, exocytosis of the conidia. While the cycle was completed in less than 1 h for unpigmented conidia, the process was significantly prolonged for conidia covered with DHN-melanin, leading to an extended intracellular residence time. At later stages of this cellular infection, pigmented conidia induced enhanced damage to phagolysosomes and infected amoebae failed to recruit the ESCRT (endosomal sorting complex required for transport) membrane repair machinery or the canonical autophagy pathway to defend against the pathogen, thus promoting prolonged intracellular persistence in the host cell and the establishment of a germination niche in this environmental phagocyte.IMPORTANCE Infections with Aspergillus fumigatus are usually acquired by an inhalation of spores from environmental sources. How spores of a saprophytic fungus have acquired abilities to withstand and escape the phagocytic attacks of innate immune cells is not understood. The fungal surface pigment dihydroxynaphtalene-melanin has been shown to be a crucial factor for the delay in phagosome maturation. Here, we show that this pigment also has a protective function against environmental phagocytes. Pigmented conidia escaped uptake and killing by the fungus-eating amoeba Protostelium aurantium When ingested by the nonfungivorous phagocyte Dictyostelium discoideum, the pigment attenuated the launch of cell autonomous defenses against the fungal invader, such as membrane repair and autophagy, leading to prolonged intracellular retention. Membrane damage and cytoplasmic leakage may result in an influx of nutrients and thus may further promote intracellular germination of the fungus, indicating that A. fumigatus has acquired some of the basic properties of intracellular pathogens.
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Affiliation(s)
- Iuliia Ferling
- Junior Research Group Evolution of Microbial Interactions, Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology-Hans Knöll Institute (HKI), Jena, Germany
- Institute of Microbiology, Friedrich Schiller University Jena, Jena, Germany
| | - Joe Dan Dunn
- Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Science, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Alexander Ferling
- Heid-Tech, Technische Schule Heidenheim, Heidenheim an der Brenz, Germany
| | - Thierry Soldati
- Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Science, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Falk Hillmann
- Junior Research Group Evolution of Microbial Interactions, Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology-Hans Knöll Institute (HKI), Jena, Germany
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17
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Adeoye AO, Oso BJ, Olaoye IF, Tijjani H, Adebayo AI. Repurposing of chloroquine and some clinically approved antiviral drugs as effective therapeutics to prevent cellular entry and replication of coronavirus. J Biomol Struct Dyn 2020; 39:3469-3479. [PMID: 32375574 PMCID: PMC7232887 DOI: 10.1080/07391102.2020.1765876] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
The reemergence of coronavirus prompts the need for the development of effective therapeutics to prevent the cellular entry and replication of coronavirus. This study demonstrated the putative inhibitory potential of lopinavir, remdesivir, oseltamir, azithromycin, ribavirin, and chloroquine towards V-ATPase, protein kinase A, SARS-CoV spike glycoprotein/ACE-2 complex and viral proteases. The pharmacodynamic and pharmacokinetic properties were predicted through the pkCSM server while the corresponding binding affinity of the selected drugs towards the proteins was computed using AutodockVina Screening tool. The ADMET properties revealed all the drugs possess drug-like properties. Lopinavir has the highest binding affinities to the pocket site of SARS-CoV spike glycoprotein/ACE-2 complex, cyclic AMP-dependent protein kinase A and 3-Chymotrypsin like protease while redemsivir has the highest binding affinities for vacuolar proton-translocating ATPase (V-ATPase) and papain-like proteins. The amino acids Asp269, Leu370, His374, and His345 were predicted as the key residues for lopinavir binding to human SARS-CoV spike glycoprotein/ACE-2 complex while His378, Tyr515, Leu73, Leu100, Phe32 and Phe40 for remdesivir and Tyr510, Phe504, Met62, Tyr50, and His378 were predicted for azithromycin as the key residues for binding to SARS-CoV spike glycoprotein/ACE-2 complex. Moreover, it was also observed that chloroquine has appreciable binding affinities for 3-Chymotrpsin- like protease and cyclic AMP-dependent protein kinase A when compared to Oseltamivir and ribavirin. The study provided evidence suggesting putative repurposing of the selected drugs for the development of valuable drugs for the prevention of cellular entry and replication of coronavirus. Communicated by Ramaswamy H. Sarma
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Affiliation(s)
- Akinwunmi O Adeoye
- Department of Biochemistry, Federal University Oye-Ekiti, Oye-Ekiti, Nigeria
| | | | - Ige Francis Olaoye
- Department of Biochemistry, McPherson University, Seriki Sotayo, Nigeria
| | - Habibu Tijjani
- Department of Biochemistry, Natural Product Research Laboratory, Bauchi State University, Gadau, Nigeria
| | - Ahmed I Adebayo
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Ilorin, Ilorin, Nigeria
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18
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Lackner M, Obermair J, Naschberger V, Raschbichler LM, Kandelbauer C, Pallua J, Metzlaff J, Furxer S, Lass-Flörl C, Binder U. Cryptic species of Aspergillus section Terrei display essential physiological features to cause infection and are similar in their virulence potential in Galleria mellonella. Virulence 2020; 10:542-554. [PMID: 31169442 PMCID: PMC6592363 DOI: 10.1080/21505594.2019.1614382] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Aspergillus species account for the majority of invasive mold infections in immunocompromised patients. Most commonly, members of the Aspergillus section Fumigati are isolated from clinical material, followed by isolates belonging to section Terrei. The section Terrei contains 16 accepted species. Six species were found to be of clinical relevance and studied for differences in growth adaptability and virulence potential. Therefore, a set of 73 isolates (22 A. terreus s.s., 8 A. alabamensis, 27 A. citrinoterreus, 2 A. floccosus, 13 A. hortai, and 1 A. neoafricanus) was studied to determine differences in (a) germination kinetics, (b) temperature tolerance, (c) oxygen stress tolerance (1% O2), and (d) a combination of the latter two. Virulence potential of phialidic (PC) and accessory conidia (AC) was studied in G. mellonella larvae, using survival as read out. Further, the formation of AC was evaluated in larval tissue. All isolates were able to grow at elevated temperature and hypoxia, with highest growth and germination rates at 37°C. A. terreus s.s., A. citrinoterreus, and A. hortai exhibited highest growth rates. Virulence potential in larvae was inoculum and temperature dependent. All species except A. floccosus formed AC and germination kinetics of AC was variable. Significantly higher virulence potential of AC was found for one A. hortai isolate. AC could be detected in larval tissue 96 h post infection. Based on these findings, cryptic species of section Terrei are well adapted to the host environment and have similar potential to cause infections.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michaela Lackner
- a Division of Hygiene and Medical Microbiology , Medical University Innsbruck , Austria
| | - Judith Obermair
- a Division of Hygiene and Medical Microbiology , Medical University Innsbruck , Austria
| | - Verena Naschberger
- a Division of Hygiene and Medical Microbiology , Medical University Innsbruck , Austria
| | | | - Carmen Kandelbauer
- a Division of Hygiene and Medical Microbiology , Medical University Innsbruck , Austria
| | - Johannes Pallua
- b Department of Pathology , Medical University Innsbruck , Austria
| | - Julia Metzlaff
- a Division of Hygiene and Medical Microbiology , Medical University Innsbruck , Austria
| | - Sibylle Furxer
- a Division of Hygiene and Medical Microbiology , Medical University Innsbruck , Austria
| | - Cornelia Lass-Flörl
- a Division of Hygiene and Medical Microbiology , Medical University Innsbruck , Austria
| | - Ulrike Binder
- a Division of Hygiene and Medical Microbiology , Medical University Innsbruck , Austria
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19
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Palanivel M, Mac Aogáin M, Purbojati RW, Uchida A, Aung NW, Lim SBY, Putra A, Drautz-Moses DI, Seaton S, Rogers TR, Schuster SC, Chotirmall SH. Whole-Genome Sequencing of Aspergillus terreus Species Complex. Mycopathologia 2020; 185:405-408. [PMID: 32108289 DOI: 10.1007/s11046-020-00433-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/23/2019] [Accepted: 02/07/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Aspergillus terreus species complex is an opportunistic fungal pathogen increasingly implicated in invasive infection, as well as chronic respiratory disease. Currently, an understanding of A. terreus pathogenicity is impeded by a limited number of whole-genome sequences of this fungal pathogen. We here describe a high-quality whole-genome assembly of European A. terreus clinical isolate M6925, derived by single-molecule real-time sequencing with short-read polishing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mathangi Palanivel
- Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine, Nanyang Technological University, 11 Mandalay Road, Singapore, 308232, Singapore
| | - Micheál Mac Aogáin
- Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine, Nanyang Technological University, 11 Mandalay Road, Singapore, 308232, Singapore
| | - Rikky W Purbojati
- Singapore Centre for Environmental Life Sciences Engineering, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Akira Uchida
- Singapore Centre for Environmental Life Sciences Engineering, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Ngu War Aung
- Singapore Centre for Environmental Life Sciences Engineering, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Serene B Y Lim
- Singapore Centre for Environmental Life Sciences Engineering, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Alexander Putra
- Singapore Centre for Environmental Life Sciences Engineering, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Daniela I Drautz-Moses
- Singapore Centre for Environmental Life Sciences Engineering, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Shila Seaton
- UK NEQAS for Microbiology, Products and Services, National Infection Service, Public Health England, London, UK
| | - Thomas R Rogers
- Department of Clinical Microbiology, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Stephan C Schuster
- Singapore Centre for Environmental Life Sciences Engineering, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Sanjay H Chotirmall
- Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine, Nanyang Technological University, 11 Mandalay Road, Singapore, 308232, Singapore.
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20
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Heung LJ. Monocytes and the Host Response to Fungal Pathogens. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2020; 10:34. [PMID: 32117808 PMCID: PMC7031161 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2020.00034] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2019] [Accepted: 01/17/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Monocytes and their derivatives, including macrophages and dendritic cells, play diverse roles in the response to fungal pathogens. Sensing of fungi by monocytes triggers signaling pathways that mediate direct effects like phagocytosis and cytokine production. Monocytes can also present fungal antigens to elicit adaptive immune responses. These monocyte-mediated pathways may be either beneficial or harmful to the host. In some instances, fungi have developed mechanisms to evade the consequences of monocyte activation and subvert these cells to promote disease. Thus, monocytes are critically involved in mediating the outcomes of these often highly fatal infections. This review will highlight the roles of monocytes in the immune response to some of the major fungi that cause invasive human disease, including Aspergillus, Cryptococcus, Candida, Histoplasma, Blastomyces, and Coccidioides, and discuss potential strategies to manipulate monocyte responses in order to enhance anti-fungal immunity in susceptible hosts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lena J Heung
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA, United States
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21
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Chang PK, Cary JW, Lebar MD. Biosynthesis of conidial and sclerotial pigments in Aspergillus species. Appl Microbiol Biotechnol 2020; 104:2277-2286. [PMID: 31974722 DOI: 10.1007/s00253-020-10347-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/22/2019] [Revised: 12/19/2019] [Accepted: 01/03/2020] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
Fungal pigments, which are classified as secondary metabolites, are polymerized products derived mostly from phenolic precursors with remarkable structural diversity. Pigments of conidia and sclerotia serve myriad functions. They provide tolerance against various environmental stresses such as ultraviolet light, oxidizing agents, and ionizing radiation. Some pigments even play a role in fungal pathogenesis. This review gathers available research and discusses current knowledge on the formation of conidial and sclerotial pigments in aspergilli. It examines organization of genes involved in pigment production, biosynthetic pathways, and biological functions and reevaluates some of the current dogma, especially with respect to the DHN-melanin pathway, on the production of these enigmatic polymers. A better understanding of the structure and biosynthesis of melanins and other pigments could facilitate strategies to mitigate fungal pathogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Perng-Kuang Chang
- Agricultural Research Service, U. S. Department of Agriculture, Southern Regional Research Center, 1100 Robert E. Lee Boulevard, New Orleans, LA, 70124, USA.
| | - Jeffrey W Cary
- Agricultural Research Service, U. S. Department of Agriculture, Southern Regional Research Center, 1100 Robert E. Lee Boulevard, New Orleans, LA, 70124, USA.
| | - Matthew D Lebar
- Agricultural Research Service, U. S. Department of Agriculture, Southern Regional Research Center, 1100 Robert E. Lee Boulevard, New Orleans, LA, 70124, USA
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22
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Fungal Infections and ABPA. Respir Med 2020. [DOI: 10.1007/978-3-030-42382-7_6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
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23
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Koch BEV, Hajdamowicz NH, Lagendijk E, Ram AFJ, Meijer AH. Aspergillus fumigatus establishes infection in zebrafish by germination of phagocytized conidia, while Aspergillus niger relies on extracellular germination. Sci Rep 2019; 9:12791. [PMID: 31488879 PMCID: PMC6728357 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-49284-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/19/2017] [Accepted: 08/22/2019] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Among opportunistically pathogenic filamentous fungi of the Aspergillus genus, Aspergillus fumigatus stands out as a drastically more prevalent cause of infection than others. Utilizing the zebrafish embryo model, we applied a combination of non-invasive real-time imaging and genetic approaches to compare the infectious development of A. fumigatus with that of the less pathogenic A. niger. We found that both species evoke similar immune cell migratory responses, but A. fumigatus is more efficiently phagocytized than A. niger. Though efficiently phagocytized, A. fumigatus conidia retains the ability to germinate and form hyphae from inside macrophages leading to serious infection even at relatively low infectious burdens. By contrast, A. niger appears to rely on extracellular germination, and rapid hyphal growth to establish infection. Despite these differences in the mechanism of infection between the species, galactofuranose mutant strains of both A. fumigatus and A. niger display attenuated pathogenesis. However, deficiency in this cell wall component has a stronger impact on A. niger, which is dependent on rapid extracellular hyphal growth. In conclusion, we uncover differences in the interaction of the two fungal species with innate immune cells, noticeable from very early stages of infection, which drive a divergence in their route to establishing infections.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bjørn E V Koch
- Institute of Biology Leiden, Leiden University, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | | | - Ellen Lagendijk
- Institute of Biology Leiden, Leiden University, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Arthur F J Ram
- Institute of Biology Leiden, Leiden University, Leiden, The Netherlands.
| | - Annemarie H Meijer
- Institute of Biology Leiden, Leiden University, Leiden, The Netherlands.
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24
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Gupta AK, Carviel J, Shear NH. A Stealthy Fungal Attack Requires an Equally Clandestine Approach to Onychomycosis Treatment. J Am Podiatr Med Assoc 2019; 109:374-378. [PMID: 31599670 DOI: 10.7547/17-080] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/03/2023]
Abstract
Onychomycosis is a chronic fungal infection of the nail that is recalcitrant to treatment. It is unclear why normally effective antifungal therapy results in low cure rates. Evidence suggests that there may be a plethora of reasons that include the limited immune presence in the nail, reduced circulation, presence of commensal microbes, and fungal influence on immune signaling. Therefore, treatment should be designed to address these possibilities and work synergistically with both the innate and adaptive immune responses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aditya K. Gupta
- Mediprobe Research, Inc, London, Ontario, Canada
- Division of Dermatology, Department of Medicine, University of Toronto School of Medicine, Toronto, Canada
| | | | - Neil H. Shear
- Division of Dermatology, Department of Medicine, University of Toronto School of Medicine, Toronto, Canada
- Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
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25
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Haider M, Dambuza IM, Asamaphan P, Stappers M, Reid D, Yamasaki S, Brown GD, Gow NAR, Erwig LP. The pattern recognition receptors dectin-2, mincle, and FcRγ impact the dynamics of phagocytosis of Candida, Saccharomyces, Malassezia, and Mucor species. PLoS One 2019; 14:e0220867. [PMID: 31393930 PMCID: PMC6687134 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0220867] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2019] [Accepted: 07/24/2019] [Indexed: 01/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Phagocytosis is a receptor-mediated process critical to innate immune clearance of pathogens. It proceeds in a regulated sequence of stages: (a) migration of phagocytes towards pathogens, (b) recognition of PAMPs and binding through PRRs, (c) engulfment and internalisation into phagosomes, (d) phagosome maturation, and (e) killing of pathogen or host cells. However, little is known about the role that individual receptors play in these discrete stages in the recognition of fungal cells. In a previous study, we found that dectin-2 deficiency impacted some but not all stages of macrophage-mediated phagocytosis of Candida glabrata. Because the C-type lectin receptor dectin-2 critically requires coupling to the FcRγ chain for signalling, we hypothesised that this coupling may be important for regulating phagocytosis of fungal cargo. We therefore examined how deficiency in FcRγ itself or two receptors to which it couples (dectin-2 and mincle) impacts phagocytosis of six fungal organisms representing three different fungal taxa. Our data show that deficiency in these proteins impairs murine bone marrow-derived macrophage migration, engulfment, and phagosome maturation, but not macrophage survival. Therefore, FcRγ engagement with selective C-type lectin receptors (CLRs) critically affects the spatio-temporal dynamics of fungal phagocytosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mohammed Haider
- Medical Research Council Centre for Medical Mycology at the University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen Fungal Group, Institute of Medical Sciences, Foresterhill, Aberdeen, United Kingdom
| | - Ivy M. Dambuza
- Medical Research Council Centre for Medical Mycology at the University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen Fungal Group, Institute of Medical Sciences, Foresterhill, Aberdeen, United Kingdom
| | - Patawee Asamaphan
- Medical Research Council Centre for Medical Mycology at the University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen Fungal Group, Institute of Medical Sciences, Foresterhill, Aberdeen, United Kingdom
| | - Mark Stappers
- Medical Research Council Centre for Medical Mycology at the University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen Fungal Group, Institute of Medical Sciences, Foresterhill, Aberdeen, United Kingdom
| | - Delyth Reid
- Medical Research Council Centre for Medical Mycology at the University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen Fungal Group, Institute of Medical Sciences, Foresterhill, Aberdeen, United Kingdom
| | - Sho Yamasaki
- Division of Molecular Immunology, Medical Institute of Bioregulation, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan
- Department of Molecular Immunology, Medical Mycology Research Center, Chiba University, Chiba, Japan
| | - Gordon D. Brown
- Medical Research Council Centre for Medical Mycology at the University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen Fungal Group, Institute of Medical Sciences, Foresterhill, Aberdeen, United Kingdom
| | - Neil A. R. Gow
- Medical Research Council Centre for Medical Mycology at the University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen Fungal Group, Institute of Medical Sciences, Foresterhill, Aberdeen, United Kingdom
| | - Lars P. Erwig
- Medical Research Council Centre for Medical Mycology at the University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen Fungal Group, Institute of Medical Sciences, Foresterhill, Aberdeen, United Kingdom
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26
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Almeida MC, Antunes D, Silva BMA, Rodrigues L, Mota M, Borges O, Fernandes C, Gonçalves T. Early Interaction of Alternaria infectoria Conidia with Macrophages. Mycopathologia 2019; 184:383-392. [PMID: 31183740 DOI: 10.1007/s11046-019-00339-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/20/2018] [Accepted: 05/08/2019] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Fungi of the genus Alternaria are ubiquitous indoor and outdoor airborne agents, and individuals are daily exposed to their spores. Although its importance in human infections and, particularly in respiratory allergies, there are no studies of how Alternaria spp. spores interact with host cells. Our aim was to study the early interaction of Alternaria infectoria spores with macrophages, the first line of immune defense. RAW 264.7 macrophages were infected with A. infectoria conidia, and the internalization and viability of conidia once inside the macrophages were quantified during the first 6 h of interaction. Live cell imaging was used to study the dynamics of this interaction. TNF-α production was quantified by relative gene expression, and the concentration of other cytokines (IL-1α, IL-1β, IL-6, IL-4, IL-10, IL-17, GM-CSF and INF-γ) and a chemokine, MIP-1α, was quantified by ELISA. Conidia were rapidly internalized by macrophages, with approximately half internalized after 30 min of interaction. During the first 6 h of interaction, macrophages retained the ability to mitotically divide while containing internalized conidia. The classical macrophage-activated morphology was absent in macrophages infected with conidia, and TNF-α and other cytokines and chemokines failed to be produced. Thus, macrophages are able to efficiently phagocyte A. infectoria conidia, but, during the first 6 h, no effective antifungal response is triggered, therefore promoting the residence of these fungal conidia inside the macrophages.
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Affiliation(s)
- M C Almeida
- CNC - Center for Neuroscience and Cell Biology of Coimbra, University of Coimbra, Rua Larga, 3004-504, Coimbra, Portugal.
| | - D Antunes
- CNC - Center for Neuroscience and Cell Biology of Coimbra, University of Coimbra, Rua Larga, 3004-504, Coimbra, Portugal
| | - B M A Silva
- CNC - Center for Neuroscience and Cell Biology of Coimbra, University of Coimbra, Rua Larga, 3004-504, Coimbra, Portugal
| | - L Rodrigues
- CNC - Center for Neuroscience and Cell Biology of Coimbra, University of Coimbra, Rua Larga, 3004-504, Coimbra, Portugal.,FMUC - Faculty of Medicine, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal
| | - M Mota
- CNC - Center for Neuroscience and Cell Biology of Coimbra, University of Coimbra, Rua Larga, 3004-504, Coimbra, Portugal.,FMUC - Faculty of Medicine, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal
| | - O Borges
- CNC - Center for Neuroscience and Cell Biology of Coimbra, University of Coimbra, Rua Larga, 3004-504, Coimbra, Portugal.,FFUC - Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal
| | - C Fernandes
- CNC - Center for Neuroscience and Cell Biology of Coimbra, University of Coimbra, Rua Larga, 3004-504, Coimbra, Portugal
| | - T Gonçalves
- CNC - Center for Neuroscience and Cell Biology of Coimbra, University of Coimbra, Rua Larga, 3004-504, Coimbra, Portugal.,FMUC - Faculty of Medicine, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal
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27
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Thakur R, Shankar J. Proteome Analysis Revealed Jak/Stat Signaling and Cytoskeleton Rearrangement Proteins in Human Lung Epithelial Cells During Interaction with Aspergillus terreus. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2019. [DOI: 10.2174/1574362413666180529123513] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Background:
Aspergillus terreus is an emerging etiological agent of invasive and
allergic aspergillosis in immunocompromised individuals. The main risk groups are individuals
having cancer, acute leukemia and those who undergo bone marrow transplantation. The human
lung epithelial cells constitute the first line of defense against inhaled conidia of A. terreus. The
aim of the study was to understand how human lung epithelial cells respond to A. terreus conidia
during the interaction and to decipher proteins/pathways underlying in host defense.
Methods:
Protein samples were extracted from human lung epithelial cells (A549) infected with
and without A. terreus conidia. Proteins were identified using QTOF-LC-MS/MS followed by
analysis using Protein Lynx Global Services software (2.2.5) against Homo sapiens UniProt
database.
Results:
A total of 1253 proteins in human lung epithelial cells were identified during the
interaction with Aspergillus terreus conidia, whereas 427 proteins were identified in uninfected
lung epithelial cells. We have observed 63 proteins in both the conditions. Gene ontology and
KEEG pathway analysis of proteins from infected lung epithelial cells showed proteins from
cytoskeleton rearrangement, transport, transcription and signal transduction pathways, such as
Jak/Stat, NOD like receptor signaling, Toll–like receptor signaling, NF-kβ signaling and TNF
signaling pathways. These signaling proteins suggested the strong immune response in lung
epithelial cells against A. terreus conidia. Also, cytoskeleton rearrangement proteins depicted the
internalization of A. terreus conidia by human lung epithelial cells.
Conclusion:
Our study has contributed to understand the interaction response of human lung
epithelial cells during A. terreus infection. Also, our study may facilitate the identification of
inflammatory biomarker against A. terreus.
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Affiliation(s)
- R. Thakur
- Genomic Laboratory, Department of Biotechnology and Bioinformatics, Jaypee University of Information Technology, Waknaghat Solan-173234 Himachal Pradesh, India
| | - J. Shankar
- Genomic Laboratory, Department of Biotechnology and Bioinformatics, Jaypee University of Information Technology, Waknaghat Solan-173234 Himachal Pradesh, India
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28
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Westman J, Hube B, Fairn GD. Integrity under stress: Host membrane remodelling and damage by fungal pathogens. Cell Microbiol 2019; 21:e13016. [DOI: 10.1111/cmi.13016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/15/2018] [Revised: 01/30/2019] [Accepted: 02/05/2019] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Johannes Westman
- Program in Cell Biology The Hospital for Sick Children Toronto Ontario Canada
| | - Bernhard Hube
- Department Microbial Pathogenicity Mechanisms Hans Knoell Institute Jena Germany
- Institute of Microbiology Microbial Pathogenicity Friedrich Schiller University Jena Germany
| | - Gregory D. Fairn
- Keenan Research Centre for Biomedical Sciences St. Michael's Hospital Toronto Ontario Canada
- Department of Surgery University of Toronto Toronto Ontario Canada
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29
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Hartung S, Rauh C, Hoang TNM, Jahreis S, Wagner K, Macheleidt J, Brakhage AA, Rummler S, Hochhaus A, von Lilienfeld-Toal M. Fast and Quantitative Evaluation of Human Leukocyte Interaction with Aspergillus fumigatus Conidia by Flow Cytometry. Cytometry A 2018; 95:332-338. [PMID: 30450827 DOI: 10.1002/cyto.a.23653] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/02/2018] [Revised: 08/29/2018] [Accepted: 10/04/2018] [Indexed: 11/05/2022]
Abstract
Systemic infections with the opportunistic mold Aspergillus fumigatus are a great threat to immunocompromised patients such as transplant recipients. Immunological research on A. fumigatus involves the measurement of phagocytosis of fungal conidia (spores) by human phagocytes. Here, we present a fast and flexible way to analyze phagocytosis by flow cytometry using fluorescein isothiocyanate (FITC) labeling of conidia prior to co-incubation with human leukocytes and an anti-FITC counterstaining step postincubation to allow the discrimination of internalized and adherent conidia. In contrast to many other protocols, this method can be combined with further surface marker analyses. We sought to determine phagocytosis rates of A. fumigatus conidia in different stages and after several incubation times using this method. Moreover, we provide an example of application by comparing phagocytosis of A. fumigatus mutants to the wild type. © 2018 International Society for Advancement of Cytometry.
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Affiliation(s)
- Susann Hartung
- Hematology and Medical Oncology, Jena University Hospital, Jena, Germany.,Center for Sepsis Control and Care, Jena University Hospital, Jena, Germany.,Leibniz Institute for Infection Biology and Natural Product Research, Jena, Germany
| | - Christopher Rauh
- Hematology and Medical Oncology, Jena University Hospital, Jena, Germany
| | - Thi Ngoc Mai Hoang
- Leibniz Institute for Infection Biology and Natural Product Research, Jena, Germany.,Friedrich Schiller University, Jena, Germany
| | - Susanne Jahreis
- Hematology and Medical Oncology, Jena University Hospital, Jena, Germany.,Leibniz Institute for Infection Biology and Natural Product Research, Jena, Germany
| | - Kathleen Wagner
- Hematology and Medical Oncology, Jena University Hospital, Jena, Germany.,Center for Sepsis Control and Care, Jena University Hospital, Jena, Germany.,Leibniz Institute for Infection Biology and Natural Product Research, Jena, Germany
| | - Juliane Macheleidt
- Leibniz Institute for Infection Biology and Natural Product Research, Jena, Germany
| | - Axel A Brakhage
- Leibniz Institute for Infection Biology and Natural Product Research, Jena, Germany.,Friedrich Schiller University, Jena, Germany
| | - Silke Rummler
- Institute for Transfusion Medicine, Jena University Hospital, Jena, Germany
| | - Andreas Hochhaus
- Hematology and Medical Oncology, Jena University Hospital, Jena, Germany
| | - Marie von Lilienfeld-Toal
- Hematology and Medical Oncology, Jena University Hospital, Jena, Germany.,Center for Sepsis Control and Care, Jena University Hospital, Jena, Germany.,Leibniz Institute for Infection Biology and Natural Product Research, Jena, Germany
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30
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Rosowski EE, Raffa N, Knox BP, Golenberg N, Keller NP, Huttenlocher A. Macrophages inhibit Aspergillus fumigatus germination and neutrophil-mediated fungal killing. PLoS Pathog 2018; 14:e1007229. [PMID: 30071103 PMCID: PMC6091969 DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1007229] [Citation(s) in RCA: 73] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/13/2018] [Revised: 08/14/2018] [Accepted: 07/18/2018] [Indexed: 01/11/2023] Open
Abstract
In immunocompromised individuals, Aspergillus fumigatus causes invasive fungal disease that is often difficult to treat. Exactly how immune mechanisms control A. fumigatus in immunocompetent individuals remains unclear. Here, we use transparent zebrafish larvae to visualize and quantify neutrophil and macrophage behaviors in response to different A. fumigatus strains. We find that macrophages form dense clusters around spores, establishing a protective niche for fungal survival. Macrophages exert these protective effects by inhibiting fungal germination, thereby inhibiting subsequent neutrophil recruitment and neutrophil-mediated killing. Germination directly drives fungal clearance as faster-growing CEA10-derived strains are killed better in vivo than slower-growing Af293-derived strains. Additionally, a CEA10 pyrG-deficient strain with impaired germination is cleared less effectively by neutrophils. Host inflammatory activation through Myd88 is required for killing of a CEA10-derived strain but not sufficient for killing of an Af293-derived strain, further demonstrating the role of fungal-intrinsic differences in the ability of a host to clear an infection. Altogether, we describe a new role for macrophages in the persistence of A. fumigatus and highlight the ability of different A. fumigatus strains to adopt diverse modes of virulence. Immunocompromised patients are susceptible to invasive fungal infections, including aspergillosis. However, healthy humans inhale spores of the fungus Aspergillus fumigatus from the environment every day without becoming sick, and how the immune system clears this infection is still obscure. Additionally, there are many different strains of A. fumigatus, and whether the pathogenesis of these different strains varies is also largely unknown. To investigate these questions, we infected larval zebrafish with A. fumigatus spores derived from two genetically diverse strains. Larval zebrafish allow for visualization of fungal growth and innate immune cell behavior in live, intact animals. We find that differences in the rate of growth between strains directly affect fungal persistence. In both wild-type and macrophage-deficient zebrafish larvae, a fast-germinating strain is actually cleared better than a slow-germinating strain. This fungal killing is driven primarily by neutrophils while macrophages promote fungal persistence by inhibiting spore germination. Our experiments underline different mechanisms of virulence that pathogens can utilize—rapid growth versus dormancy and persistence—and inform future strategies for fighting fungal infections in susceptible immunocompromised patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emily E. Rosowski
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, United States of America
| | - Nicholas Raffa
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, United States of America
- Microbiology Doctoral Training Program, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, United States of America
| | - Benjamin P. Knox
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, United States of America
- Microbiology Doctoral Training Program, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, United States of America
| | - Netta Golenberg
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, United States of America
- Graduate Program in Cellular and Molecular Biology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, United States of America
| | - Nancy P. Keller
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, United States of America
- Department of Bacteriology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, United States of America
| | - Anna Huttenlocher
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, United States of America
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, United States of America
- * E-mail:
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31
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Mac Aogáin M, Chandrasekaran R, Lim AYH, Low TB, Tan GL, Hassan T, Ong TH, Hui Qi Ng A, Bertrand D, Koh JY, Pang SL, Lee ZY, Gwee XW, Martinus C, Sio YY, Matta SA, Chew FT, Keir HR, Connolly JE, Abisheganaden JA, Koh MS, Nagarajan N, Chalmers JD, Chotirmall SH. Immunological corollary of the pulmonary mycobiome in bronchiectasis: the CAMEB study. Eur Respir J 2018; 52:13993003.00766-2018. [PMID: 29880655 PMCID: PMC6092680 DOI: 10.1183/13993003.00766-2018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 87] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/16/2018] [Accepted: 05/26/2018] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Abstract
Understanding the composition and clinical importance of the fungal mycobiome was recently identified as a key topic in a “research priorities” consensus statement for bronchiectasis. Patients were recruited as part of the CAMEB study: an international multicentre cross-sectional Cohort of Asian and Matched European Bronchiectasis patients. The mycobiome was determined in 238 patients by targeted amplicon shotgun sequencing of the 18S–28S rRNA internally transcribed spacer regions ITS1 and ITS2. Specific quantitative PCR for detection of and conidial quantification for a range of airway Aspergillus species was performed. Sputum galactomannan, Aspergillus specific IgE, IgG and TARC (thymus and activation regulated chemokine) levels were measured systemically and associated to clinical outcomes. The bronchiectasis mycobiome is distinct and characterised by specific fungal genera, including Aspergillus, Cryptococcus and Clavispora. Aspergillus fumigatus (in Singapore/Kuala Lumpur) and Aspergillus terreus (in Dundee) dominated profiles, the latter associating with exacerbations. High frequencies of Aspergillus-associated disease including sensitisation and allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis were detected. Each revealed distinct mycobiome profiles, and associated with more severe disease, poorer pulmonary function and increased exacerbations. The pulmonary mycobiome is of clinical relevance in bronchiectasis. Screening for Aspergillus-associated disease should be considered even in apparently stable patients. The airway mycobiome in bronchiectasis is associated with clinically significant diseasehttp://ow.ly/MCKj30knVrn
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Affiliation(s)
- Micheál Mac Aogáin
- Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore.,These two authors contributed equally to this work
| | - Ravishankar Chandrasekaran
- Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore.,These two authors contributed equally to this work
| | - Albert Yick Hou Lim
- Dept of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, Tan Tock Seng Hospital, Singapore
| | - Teck Boon Low
- Dept of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, Changi General Hospital, Singapore
| | - Gan Liang Tan
- Dept of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, Singapore General Hospital, Singapore
| | - Tidi Hassan
- Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
| | - Thun How Ong
- Dept of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, Singapore General Hospital, Singapore
| | | | | | - Jia Yu Koh
- Genome Institute of Singapore, A*STAR, Singapore
| | - Sze Lei Pang
- Dept of Biological Sciences, National University of Singapore, Singapore.,Institute of Systems Biology, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Bangi, Malaysia
| | - Zi Yang Lee
- Dept of Biological Sciences, National University of Singapore, Singapore
| | - Xiao Wei Gwee
- Dept of Biological Sciences, National University of Singapore, Singapore
| | | | - Yang Yie Sio
- Dept of Biological Sciences, National University of Singapore, Singapore
| | - Sri Anusha Matta
- Dept of Biological Sciences, National University of Singapore, Singapore
| | - Fook Tim Chew
- Dept of Biological Sciences, National University of Singapore, Singapore
| | - Holly R Keir
- Ninewells Hospital and Medical School, University of Dundee, Dundee, UK
| | | | | | - Mariko Siyue Koh
- Dept of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, Singapore General Hospital, Singapore
| | | | - James D Chalmers
- Ninewells Hospital and Medical School, University of Dundee, Dundee, UK
| | - Sanjay H Chotirmall
- Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore
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32
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Pellon A, Ramirez-Garcia A, Guruceaga X, Zabala A, Buldain I, Antoran A, Anguita J, Rementeria A, Matute C, Hernando FL. Microglial immune response is impaired against the neurotropic fungus Lomentospora prolificans. Cell Microbiol 2018; 20:e12847. [PMID: 29582549 DOI: 10.1111/cmi.12847] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/03/2017] [Revised: 03/13/2018] [Accepted: 03/22/2018] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Lomentospora (Scedosporium) prolificans is an opportunistic pathogen capable of causing invasive infections in immunocompromised patients. The fungus is able to disseminate via the bloodstream finally arriving at the central nervous system producing neurological symptoms and, in many cases, patient death. In this context, microglial cells, which are the resident immune cells in the central nervous system, may play an important role in these infections. However, this aspect of anti-L. prolificans immunity has been poorly researched to date. Thus, the interactions and activity of microglial cells against L. prolificans were analysed, and the results show that there was a remarkable impairment in their performance regarding phagocytosis, the development of oxidative burst, and in the production of pro-inflammatory cytokines, compared with macrophages. Interestingly, L. prolificans displays great growth also when challenged with immune cells, even when inside them. We also proved that microglial phagocytosis of the fungus is highly dependent on mannose receptor and especially on dectin-1. Taken together, these data provide evidence for an impaired microglial response against L. prolificans and contribute to understanding the pathobiology of its neurotropism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aize Pellon
- Fungal and Bacterial Biomics Research Group, Department of Immunology, Microbiology and Parasitology, Faculty of Science and Technology, University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU), Leioa, Spain.,Macrophage and Tick Vaccine Laboratory, CIC bioGUNE, Derio, Spain
| | - Andoni Ramirez-Garcia
- Fungal and Bacterial Biomics Research Group, Department of Immunology, Microbiology and Parasitology, Faculty of Science and Technology, University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU), Leioa, Spain
| | - Xabier Guruceaga
- Fungal and Bacterial Biomics Research Group, Department of Immunology, Microbiology and Parasitology, Faculty of Science and Technology, University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU), Leioa, Spain
| | - Alazne Zabala
- Laboratory of Neurobiology, Department of Neuroscience, Achucarro Basque Center for Neuroscience, University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU) and CIBERNED, Leioa, Spain
| | - Idoia Buldain
- Fungal and Bacterial Biomics Research Group, Department of Immunology, Microbiology and Parasitology, Faculty of Science and Technology, University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU), Leioa, Spain
| | - Aitziber Antoran
- Fungal and Bacterial Biomics Research Group, Department of Immunology, Microbiology and Parasitology, Faculty of Science and Technology, University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU), Leioa, Spain
| | - Juan Anguita
- Macrophage and Tick Vaccine Laboratory, CIC bioGUNE, Derio, Spain.,Ikerbasque, Basque Foundation for Science, Bilbao, Spain
| | - Aitor Rementeria
- Fungal and Bacterial Biomics Research Group, Department of Immunology, Microbiology and Parasitology, Faculty of Science and Technology, University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU), Leioa, Spain
| | - Carlos Matute
- Laboratory of Neurobiology, Department of Neuroscience, Achucarro Basque Center for Neuroscience, University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU) and CIBERNED, Leioa, Spain
| | - Fernando L Hernando
- Fungal and Bacterial Biomics Research Group, Department of Immunology, Microbiology and Parasitology, Faculty of Science and Technology, University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU), Leioa, Spain
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33
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Hünniger K, Kurzai O. Phagocytes as central players in the defence against invasive fungal infection. Semin Cell Dev Biol 2018; 89:3-15. [PMID: 29601862 DOI: 10.1016/j.semcdb.2018.03.021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/21/2017] [Accepted: 03/26/2018] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
Fungal pathogens cause severe and life-threatening infections worldwide. The majority of invasive infections occurs in immunocompromised patients and is based on acquired as well as congenital defects of innate and adaptive immune responses. In many cases, these defects affect phagocyte functions. Consequently, professional phagocytes - mainly monocytes, macrophages, dendritic cells and polymorphonuclear neutrophilic granulocytes - have been shown to act as central players in initiating and modulating antifungal immune responses as well as elimination of fungal pathogens. In this review we will summarize our current understanding on the role of these professional phagocytes in invasive fungal infection to emphasize two important aspects. (i) Analyses on the interaction between fungi and phagocytes have contributed to significant new insights into phagocyte biology. Important examples for this include the identification of pattern recognition receptors for β-glucan, a major cell wall component of many fungal pathogens, as well as the identification of genetic polymorphisms that determine individual host responses towards invading fungi. (ii) At the same time it was shown that fungal pathogens have evolved sophisticated mechanisms to counteract the attack of professional phagocytes. These mechanisms range from complete mechanical destruction of phagocytes to exquisite adaptation of some fungi to the hostile intracellular environment, enabling them to grow and replicate inside professional phagocytes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kerstin Hünniger
- Institute for Hygiene and Microbiology, University of Würzburg, Germany; Septomics Research Center, Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology - Hans-Knoell-Institute, Jena, Germany
| | - Oliver Kurzai
- Institute for Hygiene and Microbiology, University of Würzburg, Germany; Septomics Research Center, Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology - Hans-Knoell-Institute, Jena, Germany.
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34
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Schmidt H, Vlaic S, Krüger T, Schmidt F, Balkenhol J, Dandekar T, Guthke R, Kniemeyer O, Heinekamp T, Brakhage AA. Proteomics of Aspergillus fumigatus Conidia-containing Phagolysosomes Identifies Processes Governing Immune Evasion. Mol Cell Proteomics 2018; 17:1084-1096. [PMID: 29507050 DOI: 10.1074/mcp.ra117.000069] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/09/2017] [Revised: 02/17/2018] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Invasive infections by the human pathogenic fungus Aspergillus fumigatus start with the outgrowth of asexual, airborne spores (conidia) into the lung tissue of immunocompromised patients. The resident alveolar macrophages phagocytose conidia, which end up in phagolysosomes. However, A. fumigatus conidia resist phagocytic degradation to a certain degree. This is mainly attributable to the pigment 1,8-dihydroxynaphthalene (DHN) melanin located in the cell wall of conidia, which manipulates the phagolysosomal maturation and prevents their intracellular killing. To get insight in the underlying molecular mechanisms, we comparatively analyzed proteins of mouse macrophage phagolysosomes containing melanized wild-type (wt) or nonmelanized pksP mutant conidia. For this purpose, a protocol to isolate conidia-containing phagolysosomes was established and a reference protein map of phagolysosomes was generated. We identified 637 host and 22 A. fumigatus proteins that were differentially abundant in the phagolysosome. 472 of the host proteins were overrepresented in the pksP mutant and 165 in the wt conidia-containing phagolysosome. Eight of the fungal proteins were produced only in pksP mutant and 14 proteins in wt conidia-containing phagolysosomes. Bioinformatical analysis compiled a regulatory module, which indicates host processes affected by the fungus. These processes include vATPase-driven phagolysosomal acidification, Rab5 and Vamp8-dependent endocytic trafficking, signaling pathways, as well as recruitment of the Lamp1 phagolysosomal maturation marker and the lysosomal cysteine protease cathepsin Z. Western blotting and immunofluorescence analyses confirmed the proteome data and moreover showed differential abundance of the major metabolic regulator mTOR. Taken together, with the help of a protocol optimized to isolate A. fumigatus conidia-containing phagolysosomes and a potent bioinformatics algorithm, we were able to confirm A. fumigatus conidia-dependent modification of phagolysosomal processes that have been described before and beyond that, identify pathways that have not been implicated in A. fumigatus evasion strategy, yet.Mass spectrometry proteomics data are available via ProteomeXchange with identifiers PXD005724 and PXD006134.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hella Schmidt
- From the ‡Department of Molecular and Applied Microbiology, Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology - Hans Knöll Institute (HKI), Jena, Germany
| | - Sebastian Vlaic
- §Systems Biology and Bioinformatics, Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology (HKI), Jena, Germany
| | - Thomas Krüger
- From the ‡Department of Molecular and Applied Microbiology, Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology - Hans Knöll Institute (HKI), Jena, Germany
| | - Franziska Schmidt
- From the ‡Department of Molecular and Applied Microbiology, Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology - Hans Knöll Institute (HKI), Jena, Germany
| | - Johannes Balkenhol
- ¶Department of Bioinformatics, Julius Maximilians University Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Thomas Dandekar
- ¶Department of Bioinformatics, Julius Maximilians University Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Reinhard Guthke
- §Systems Biology and Bioinformatics, Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology (HKI), Jena, Germany
| | - Olaf Kniemeyer
- From the ‡Department of Molecular and Applied Microbiology, Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology - Hans Knöll Institute (HKI), Jena, Germany
| | - Thorsten Heinekamp
- From the ‡Department of Molecular and Applied Microbiology, Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology - Hans Knöll Institute (HKI), Jena, Germany
| | - Axel A Brakhage
- From the ‡Department of Molecular and Applied Microbiology, Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology - Hans Knöll Institute (HKI), Jena, Germany; .,‖Department of Microbiology and Molecular Biology, Institute of Microbiology, Friedrich Schiller University, Jena, Germany
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35
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Guruceaga X, Ezpeleta G, Mayayo E, Sueiro-Olivares M, Abad-Diaz-De-Cerio A, Aguirre Urízar JM, Liu HG, Wiemann P, Bok JW, Filler SG, Keller NP, Hernando FL, Ramirez-Garcia A, Rementeria A. A possible role for fumagillin in cellular damage during host infection by Aspergillus fumigatus. Virulence 2018; 9:1548-1561. [PMID: 30251593 PMCID: PMC6177242 DOI: 10.1080/21505594.2018.1526528] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/28/2018] [Accepted: 09/10/2018] [Indexed: 01/31/2023] Open
Abstract
Virulence mechanisms of the pathogenic fungus Aspergillus fumigatus are multifactorial and depend on the immune state of the host, but little is known about the fungal mechanism that develops during the process of lung invasion. In this study, microarray technology was combined with a histopathology evaluation of infected lungs so that the invasion strategy followed by the fungus could be described. To achieve this, an intranasal mice infection was performed to extract daily fungal samples from the infected lungs over four days post-infection. The pathological study revealed a heavy fungal progression throughout the lung, reaching the blood vessels on the third day after exposure and causing tissue necrosis. One percent of the fungal genome followed a differential expression pattern during this process. Strikingly, most of the genes of the intertwined fumagillin/pseurotin biosynthetic gene cluster were upregulated as were genes encoding lytic enzymes such as lipases, proteases (DppIV, DppV, Asp f 1 or Asp f 5) and chitinase (chiB1) as well as three genes related with pyomelanin biosynthesis process. Furthermore, we demonstrate that fumagillin is produced in an in vitro pneumocyte cell line infection model and that loss of fumagillin synthesis reduces epithelial cell damage. These results suggest that fumagillin contributes to tissue damage during invasive aspergillosis. Therefore, it is probable that A. fumigatus progresses through the lungs via the production of the mycotoxin fumagillin combined with the secretion of lytic enzymes that allow fungal growth, angioinvasion and the disruption of the lung parenchymal structure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xabier Guruceaga
- Fungal and Bacterial Biomics Research Group, Department of Immunology, Microbiology and Parasitology, Faculty of Science and Technology, University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU), Leioa, Spain
| | - Guillermo Ezpeleta
- Preventive Medicine and Hospital Hygiene Service, Complejo Hospitalario de Navarra, Pamplona, Spain
- Department of Preventive Medicine and Public Health, Faculty of Medicine and Nursing, University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU), Leioa, Spain
| | - Emilio Mayayo
- Pathology Unit, Medicine and Health Science Faculty, University of Rovira i Virgili, Reus, Tarragona, Spain
| | - Monica Sueiro-Olivares
- Fungal and Bacterial Biomics Research Group, Department of Immunology, Microbiology and Parasitology, Faculty of Science and Technology, University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU), Leioa, Spain
| | - Ana Abad-Diaz-De-Cerio
- Fungal and Bacterial Biomics Research Group, Department of Immunology, Microbiology and Parasitology, Faculty of Science and Technology, University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU), Leioa, Spain
| | - José Manuel Aguirre Urízar
- Department of Stomatology II, Faculty of Medicine and Nursing, University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU), Leioa, Spain
| | - Hong G. Liu
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Los Angeles Biomedical Research Institute at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center, Torrance, CA, USA
- Department of Medicine, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Philipp Wiemann
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI, USA
| | - Jin Woo Bok
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI, USA
| | - Scott G. Filler
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Los Angeles Biomedical Research Institute at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center, Torrance, CA, USA
- Department of Medicine, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Nancy P. Keller
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI, USA
- Department of Bacteriology, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI, USA
| | - Fernando L. Hernando
- Fungal and Bacterial Biomics Research Group, Department of Immunology, Microbiology and Parasitology, Faculty of Science and Technology, University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU), Leioa, Spain
| | - Andoni Ramirez-Garcia
- Fungal and Bacterial Biomics Research Group, Department of Immunology, Microbiology and Parasitology, Faculty of Science and Technology, University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU), Leioa, Spain
| | - Aitor Rementeria
- Fungal and Bacterial Biomics Research Group, Department of Immunology, Microbiology and Parasitology, Faculty of Science and Technology, University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU), Leioa, Spain
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36
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Novohradská S, Ferling I, Hillmann F. Exploring Virulence Determinants of Filamentous Fungal Pathogens through Interactions with Soil Amoebae. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2017; 7:497. [PMID: 29259922 PMCID: PMC5723301 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2017.00497] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2017] [Accepted: 11/20/2017] [Indexed: 01/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Infections with filamentous fungi are common to all animals, but attention is rising especially due to the increasing incidence and high mortality rates observed in immunocompromised human individuals. Here, Aspergillus fumigatus and other members of its genus are the leading causative agents. Attributes like their saprophytic life-style in various ecological niches coupled with nutritional flexibility and a broad host range have fostered the hypothesis that environmental predators could have been the actual target for some of their virulence determinants. In this mini review, we have merged the recent findings focused on the potential dual-use of fungal defense strategies against innate immune cells and soil amoebae as natural phagocytes. Well-established virulence attributes like the melanized surface of fungal conidia or their capacity to produce toxic secondary metabolites have also been found to be protective against the model amoeba Dictyostelium discoideum. Some of the recent advances during interaction studies with human cells have further promoted the adaptation of other amoeba infection models, including the wide-spread generalist Acanthamoeba castellanii, or less prominent representatives like Vermamoeba vermiformis. We further highlight prospects and limits of these natural phagocyte models with regard to the infection biology of filamentous fungi and in comparison to the phagocytes of the innate immune system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Silvia Novohradská
- Evolution of Microbial Interactions, Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology-Hans Knöll Institute, Jena, Germany
- Institute of Microbiology, Friedrich Schiller University Jena, Jena, Germany
| | - Iuliia Ferling
- Evolution of Microbial Interactions, Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology-Hans Knöll Institute, Jena, Germany
- Institute of Microbiology, Friedrich Schiller University Jena, Jena, Germany
| | - Falk Hillmann
- Evolution of Microbial Interactions, Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology-Hans Knöll Institute, Jena, Germany
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37
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Hsieh SH, Kurzai O, Brock M. Persistence within dendritic cells marks an antifungal evasion and dissemination strategy of Aspergillus terreus. Sci Rep 2017; 7:10590. [PMID: 28878289 PMCID: PMC5587622 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-017-10914-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/09/2017] [Accepted: 08/16/2017] [Indexed: 01/20/2023] Open
Abstract
Aspergillus terreus is an airborne human fungal pathogen causing life-threatening invasive aspergillosis in immunocompromised patients. In contrast to Aspergillus fumigatus, A. terreus infections are associated with high dissemination rates and poor response to antifungal treatment. Here, we compared the interaction of conidia from both fungal species with MUTZ-3-derived dendritic cells (DCs). After phagocytosis, A. fumigatus conidia rapidly escaped from DCs, whereas A. terreus conidia remained persisting with long-term survival. Escape from DCs was independent from DHN-melanin, as A. terreus conidia expressing wA showed no increased intracellular germination. Within DCs A. terreus conidia were protected from antifungals, whereas A. fumigatus conidia were efficiently cleared. Furthermore, while A. fumigatus conidia triggered expression of DC activation markers such as CD80, CD83, CD54, MHCII and CCR7, persistent A. terreus conidia were significantly less immunogenic. Moreover, DCs confronted with A. terreus conidia neither produced pro-inflammatory nor T-cell stimulating cytokines. However, TNF-α addition resulted in activation of DCs and provoked the expression of migration markers without inactivating intracellular A. terreus conidia. Therefore, persistence within DCs and possibly within other immune cells might contribute to the low response of A. terreus infections to antifungal treatment and could be responsible for its high dissemination rates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shih-Hung Hsieh
- Fungal Genetics and Biology Group, School of Life Sciences, University of Nottingham, University Park, NG7 2RD, Nottingham, UK.,Microbial Biochemistry and Physiology, Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology - Hans-Knoell-Institute, Adolf-Reichwein-Str. 23, 07745, Jena, Germany
| | - Oliver Kurzai
- Institute for Hygiene and Microbiology, Medical Microbiology and Mycology, Julius-Maximilians-University Würzburg, Josef-Schneider-Str. 2, 97080, Würzburg, Germany.,Septomics Research Center, Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology - Hans-Knoell-Institute, Adolf-Reichwein-Str. 23, 07745, Jena, Germany
| | - Matthias Brock
- Fungal Genetics and Biology Group, School of Life Sciences, University of Nottingham, University Park, NG7 2RD, Nottingham, UK.
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38
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Immune Recognition of Fungal Polysaccharides. J Fungi (Basel) 2017; 3:jof3030047. [PMID: 29371564 PMCID: PMC5715945 DOI: 10.3390/jof3030047] [Citation(s) in RCA: 51] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2017] [Revised: 08/21/2017] [Accepted: 08/23/2017] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
The incidence of fungal infections has dramatically increased in recent years, in large part due to increased use of immunosuppressive medications, as well as aggressive medical and surgical interventions that compromise natural skin and mucosal barriers. There are relatively few currently licensed antifungal drugs, and rising resistance to these agents has led to interest in the development of novel preventative and therapeutic strategies targeting these devastating infections. One approach to combat fungal infections is to augment the host immune response towards these organisms. The polysaccharide-rich cell wall is the initial point of contact between fungi and the host immune system, and therefore, represents an important target for immunotherapeutic approaches. This review highlights the advances made in our understanding of the mechanisms by which the immune system recognizes and interacts with exopolysaccharides produced by four of the most common fungal pathogens: Aspergillus fumigatus, Candida albicans, Cryptococcus neoformans, and Histoplasma capsulatum. Work to date suggests that inner cell wall polysaccharides that play an important structural role are the most conserved across diverse members of the fungal kingdom, and elicit the strongest innate immune responses. The immune system senses these carbohydrates through receptors, such as lectins and complement proteins. In contrast, a greater diversity of polysaccharides is found within the outer cell walls of pathogenic fungi. These glycans play an important role in immune evasion, and can even induce anti-inflammatory host responses. Further study of the complex interactions between the host immune system and the fungal polysaccharides will be necessary to develop more effective therapeutic strategies, as well as to explore the use of immunosuppressive polysaccharides as therapeutic agents to modulate inflammation.
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Wurster S, Thielen V, Weis P, Walther P, Elias J, Waaga-Gasser AM, Dragan M, Dandekar T, Einsele H, Löffler J, Ullmann AJ. Mucorales spores induce a proinflammatory cytokine response in human mononuclear phagocytes and harbor no rodlet hydrophobins. Virulence 2017; 8:1708-1718. [PMID: 28783439 DOI: 10.1080/21505594.2017.1342920] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Mucormycoses are life-threatening infections in immunocompromised patients. This study characterizes the response of human mononuclear cells to different Mucorales and Ascomycota. PBMC, monocytes, and monocyte derived dendritic cells (moDCs) from healthy donors were stimulated with resting and germinated stages of Mucorales and Ascomycota. Cytokine response and expression of activation markers were studied. Both inactivated germ tubes and resting spores of Rhizopus arrhizus and other human pathogenic Mucorales species significantly stimulated mRNA synthesis and secretion of proinflammatory cytokines. Moreover, R. arrhizus spores induced the upregulation of co-stimulatory molecules on moDCs and a specific T-helper cell response. Removal of rodlet hydrophobins by hydrofluoric acid treatment of A. fumigatus conidia resulted in enhanced immunogenicity, whereas the cytokine response of PBMCs to dormant R. arrhizus spores was not influenced by hydrofluoric acid. Scanning electron micrographs of Mucorales spores did not exhibit any morphological correlates of rodlet hydrophobins. Taken together, this study revealed striking differences in the response of human mononuclear cells to resting stages of Ascomycota and Mucorales, which may be explained by absence of an immunoprotective hydrophobin layer in Mucorales spores.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sebastian Wurster
- a Department of Internal Medicine II, Infectious Diseases , University Hospital of Würzburg , Würzburg , Germany
| | - Vanessa Thielen
- a Department of Internal Medicine II, Infectious Diseases , University Hospital of Würzburg , Würzburg , Germany
| | - Philipp Weis
- a Department of Internal Medicine II, Infectious Diseases , University Hospital of Würzburg , Würzburg , Germany
| | - Paul Walther
- b Central Facility for Electron Microscopy , University of Ulm , Ulm , Germany
| | - Johannes Elias
- c Institute for Hygiene and Microbiology (IHM) , Julius Maximilians University of Würzburg , Würzburg , Germany
| | - Ana Maria Waaga-Gasser
- d Department of Surgery I, Molecular Oncology and Immunology , University Hospital of Würzburg , Würzburg , Germany
| | - Mariola Dragan
- d Department of Surgery I, Molecular Oncology and Immunology , University Hospital of Würzburg , Würzburg , Germany
| | - Thomas Dandekar
- e Department of Bioinformatics, Biocenter , University of Würzburg , Würzburg , Germany
| | - Hermann Einsele
- a Department of Internal Medicine II, Infectious Diseases , University Hospital of Würzburg , Würzburg , Germany
| | - Jürgen Löffler
- a Department of Internal Medicine II, Infectious Diseases , University Hospital of Würzburg , Würzburg , Germany
| | - Andrew J Ullmann
- a Department of Internal Medicine II, Infectious Diseases , University Hospital of Würzburg , Würzburg , Germany
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40
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Thakur R, Shankar J. Proteome Profile of Aspergillus terreus Conidia at Germinating Stage: Identification of Probable Virulent Factors and Enzymes from Mycotoxin Pathways. Mycopathologia 2017. [PMID: 28647921 DOI: 10.1007/s11046-017-0161-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
Aspergillus terreus is an emerging opportunistic fungal pathogen that causes invasive aspergillosis in immunocompromised individuals. The main risk group of individuals for this organism is leukopenic patients, individuals having cancers, bone marrow transplant persons and those who have immunological disorders. The lack of early diagnostic marker for A. terreus and intrinsic resistance to Amphotericin B, further limits the successful therapy of A. terreus-associated infections. The germination of inhaled conidia is the key step to establish successful invasion in host tissues or organs. Thus, profiling of expressed proteins during germination of conidia not only shed light on proteins that are involved in invasion or virulence but may also provide early diagnostic markers. We used nanoLC-Q-TOF to study the proteome of germinating conidia (at 16 h time points) of A. terreus. We observed expression of 373 proteins in germinating conidia of A. terreus. A total of 74 proteins were uncharacterized in the database. The expressed proteins were associated with various processes like cell wall modulation, virulence factors and secondary metabolite biosynthesis. The most abundant proteins were associated with protein biosynthesis, carbohydrate metabolism and unknown functions. Among virulent proteins, mitogen-activated protein kinase (hog1) and mitogen-activated protein kinase (mpkC) are key virulent proteins observed in our study. We observed 7 enzymes from terretonin and 10 enzymes from geodin mycotoxin biosynthesis pathway. Interestingly, we observed expression of terrelysin protein, associated with blood cell lysis. Quantitative RT-PCR analysis showed 26-fold increase in transcripts encoding for dihydrogeodin oxidase and 885-fold for terrelysin gene in germinating conidia in comparison to conidia. Further, we propose that terrelysin protein and secondary metabolite such as geodin could be explored as diagnostic marker for A. terreus-associated infections.
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Affiliation(s)
- Raman Thakur
- Department of Biotechnology and Bioinformatics, Jaypee University of Information Technology, Waknaghat Solan, Himachal Pradesh, 173234, India
| | - Jata Shankar
- Department of Biotechnology and Bioinformatics, Jaypee University of Information Technology, Waknaghat Solan, Himachal Pradesh, 173234, India.
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41
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Desoubeaux G, Cray C. Rodent Models of Invasive Aspergillosis due to Aspergillus fumigatus: Still a Long Path toward Standardization. Front Microbiol 2017; 8:841. [PMID: 28559881 PMCID: PMC5432554 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2017.00841] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/17/2017] [Accepted: 04/24/2017] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Invasive aspergillosis has been studied in laboratory by the means of plethora of distinct animal models. They were developed to address pathophysiology, therapy, diagnosis, or miscellaneous other concerns associated. However, there are great discrepancies regarding all the experimental variables of animal models, and a thorough focus on them is needed. This systematic review completed a comprehensive bibliographic analysis specifically-based on the technical features of rodent models infected with Aspergillus fumigatus. Out the 800 articles reviewed, it was shown that mice remained the preferred model (85.8% of the referenced reports), above rats (10.8%), and guinea pigs (3.8%). Three quarters of the models involved immunocompromised status, mainly by steroids (44.4%) and/or alkylating drugs (42.9%), but only 27.7% were reported to receive antibiotic prophylaxis to prevent from bacterial infection. Injection of spores (30.0%) and inhalation/deposition into respiratory airways (66.9%) were the most used routes for experimental inoculation. Overall, more than 230 distinct A. fumigatus strains were used in models. Of all the published studies, 18.4% did not mention usage of any diagnostic tool, like histopathology or mycological culture, to control correct implementation of the disease and to measure outcome. In light of these findings, a consensus discussion should be engaged to establish a minimum standardization, although this may not be consistently suitable for addressing all the specific aspects of invasive aspergillosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guillaume Desoubeaux
- Division of Comparative Pathology, Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Miller School of Medicine, University of MiamiMiami, FL, USA.,Service de Parasitologie-Mycologie-Médecine tropicale, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de ToursTours, France.,Centre d'Etude des Pathologies Respiratoires (CEPR) Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale U1100/Équipe 3, Université François-RabelaisTours, France
| | - Carolyn Cray
- Division of Comparative Pathology, Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Miller School of Medicine, University of MiamiMiami, FL, USA
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42
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Fischer GJ, Bacon W, Yang J, Palmer JM, Dagenais T, Hammock BD, Keller NP. Lipoxygenase Activity Accelerates Programmed Spore Germination in Aspergillus fumigatus. Front Microbiol 2017; 8:831. [PMID: 28536571 PMCID: PMC5422543 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2017.00831] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/10/2017] [Accepted: 04/24/2017] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
The opportunistic human pathogen Aspergillus fumigatus initiates invasive growth through a programmed germination process that progresses from dormant spore to swollen spore (SS) to germling (GL) and ultimately invasive hyphal growth. We find a lipoxygenase with considerable homology to human Alox5 and Alox15, LoxB, that impacts the transitions of programmed spore germination. Overexpression of loxB (OE::loxB) increases germination with rapid advance to the GL stage. However, deletion of loxB (ΔloxB) or its signal peptide only delays progression to the SS stage in the presence of arachidonic acid (AA); no delay is observed in minimal media. This delay is remediated by the addition of the oxygenated AA oxylipin 5-hydroxyeicosatetraenoic acid (5-HETE) that is a product of human Alox5. We propose that A. fumigatus acquisition of LoxB (found in few fungi) enhances germination rates in polyunsaturated fatty acid-rich environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gregory J Fischer
- Department of Genetics, University of Wisconsin-Madison, MadisonWI, USA
| | - William Bacon
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, MadisonWI, USA
| | - Jun Yang
- Department of Entomology and Nematology and Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of California, Davis, DavisCA, USA
| | - Jonathan M Palmer
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, MadisonWI, USA
| | - Taylor Dagenais
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, MadisonWI, USA
| | - Bruce D Hammock
- Department of Entomology and Nematology and Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of California, Davis, DavisCA, USA
| | - Nancy P Keller
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, MadisonWI, USA
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43
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Palonen EK, Raina S, Brandt A, Meriluoto J, Keshavarz T, Soini JT. Transcriptomic Complexity of Aspergillus terreus Velvet Gene Family under the Influence of Butyrolactone I. Microorganisms 2017; 5:E12. [PMID: 28335447 PMCID: PMC5374389 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms5010012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/16/2017] [Revised: 03/01/2017] [Accepted: 03/09/2017] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Filamentous fungi of the Ascomycota phylum are known to contain a family of conserved conidiation regulating proteins with distinctive velvet domains. In Aspergilli, this velvet family includes four proteins, VeA, VelB, VelC and VosA, and is involved in conidiation and secondary metabolism along with a global regulator LaeA. In A. terreus, the overexpression of LaeA has been observed to increase the biogenesis of the pharmaceutically-important secondary metabolite, lovastatin, while the role of the velvet family has not been studied. The secondary metabolism and conidiation of A. terreus have also been observed to be increased by butyrolactone I in a quorum-sensing manner. An enlightenment of the interplay of these regulators will give potential advancement to the industrial use of this fungus, as well as in resolving the pathogenic features. In this study, the Aspergillus terreus MUCL 38669 transcriptome was strand-specifically sequenced to enable an in-depth gene expression analysis to further investigate the transcriptional role of butyrolactone I in these processes. The sequenced transcriptome revealed intriguing properties of the velvet family transcripts, including the regulator laeA, and uncovered the velC gene in A. terreus. The reliability refining microarray gene expression analysis disclosed a positive regulatory role for butyrolactone I in laeA expression, as well as an influence on the expression of the canonical conidiation-regulating genes under submerged culture. All of this supports the suggested regulative role of butyrolactone I in A. terreus secondary metabolism, as well as conidiation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elina K Palonen
- Biochemistry, Faculty of Science and Engineering, Åbo Akademi University, FI-20520 Åbo, Finland.
| | - Sheetal Raina
- Department of Life Sciences, University of Westminster, London W1W 6UW, UK.
| | - Annika Brandt
- Biochemistry, Faculty of Science and Engineering, Åbo Akademi University, FI-20520 Åbo, Finland.
| | - Jussi Meriluoto
- Biochemistry, Faculty of Science and Engineering, Åbo Akademi University, FI-20520 Åbo, Finland.
| | - Tajalli Keshavarz
- Department of Life Sciences, University of Westminster, London W1W 6UW, UK.
| | - Juhani T Soini
- Faculty of Life Sciences and Business, Turku University of Applied Sciences, FI-20520 Åbo, Finland.
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44
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Paulussen C, Hallsworth JE, Álvarez‐Pérez S, Nierman WC, Hamill PG, Blain D, Rediers H, Lievens B. Ecology of aspergillosis: insights into the pathogenic potency of Aspergillus fumigatus and some other Aspergillus species. Microb Biotechnol 2017; 10:296-322. [PMID: 27273822 PMCID: PMC5328810 DOI: 10.1111/1751-7915.12367] [Citation(s) in RCA: 179] [Impact Index Per Article: 25.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/19/2015] [Revised: 04/08/2016] [Accepted: 04/18/2016] [Indexed: 01/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Fungi of the genus Aspergillus are widespread in the environment. Some Aspergillus species, most commonly Aspergillus fumigatus, may lead to a variety of allergic reactions and life-threatening systemic infections in humans. Invasive aspergillosis occurs primarily in patients with severe immunodeficiency, and has dramatically increased in recent years. There are several factors at play that contribute to aspergillosis, including both fungus and host-related factors such as strain virulence and host pulmonary structure/immune status, respectively. The environmental tenacity of Aspergilllus, its dominance in diverse microbial communities/habitats, and its ability to navigate the ecophysiological and biophysical challenges of host infection are attributable, in large part, to a robust stress-tolerance biology and exceptional capacity to generate cell-available energy. Aspects of its stress metabolism, ecology, interactions with diverse animal hosts, clinical presentations and treatment regimens have been well-studied over the past years. Here, we synthesize these findings in relation to the way in which some Aspergillus species have become successful opportunistic pathogens of human- and other animal hosts. We focus on the biophysical capabilities of Aspergillus pathogens, key aspects of their ecophysiology and the flexibility to undergo a sexual cycle or form cryptic species. Additionally, recent advances in diagnosis of the disease are discussed as well as implications in relation to questions that have yet to be resolved.
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Affiliation(s)
- Caroline Paulussen
- Laboratory for Process Microbial Ecology and Bioinspirational Management (PME&BIM)Department of Microbial and Molecular Systems (M2S)KU LeuvenCampus De NayerSint‐Katelijne‐WaverB‐2860Belgium
| | - John E. Hallsworth
- Institute for Global Food SecuritySchool of Biological SciencesMedical Biology CentreQueen's University BelfastBelfastBT9 7BLUK
| | - Sergio Álvarez‐Pérez
- Faculty of Veterinary MedicineDepartment of Animal HealthUniversidad Complutense de MadridMadridE‐28040Spain
| | | | - Philip G. Hamill
- Institute for Global Food SecuritySchool of Biological SciencesMedical Biology CentreQueen's University BelfastBelfastBT9 7BLUK
| | - David Blain
- Institute for Global Food SecuritySchool of Biological SciencesMedical Biology CentreQueen's University BelfastBelfastBT9 7BLUK
| | - Hans Rediers
- Laboratory for Process Microbial Ecology and Bioinspirational Management (PME&BIM)Department of Microbial and Molecular Systems (M2S)KU LeuvenCampus De NayerSint‐Katelijne‐WaverB‐2860Belgium
| | - Bart Lievens
- Laboratory for Process Microbial Ecology and Bioinspirational Management (PME&BIM)Department of Microbial and Molecular Systems (M2S)KU LeuvenCampus De NayerSint‐Katelijne‐WaverB‐2860Belgium
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45
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Marcos CM, de Oliveira HC, de Melo WDCMA, da Silva JDF, Assato PA, Scorzoni L, Rossi SA, de Paula E Silva ACA, Mendes-Giannini MJS, Fusco-Almeida AM. Anti-Immune Strategies of Pathogenic Fungi. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2016; 6:142. [PMID: 27896220 PMCID: PMC5108756 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2016.00142] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/04/2016] [Accepted: 10/13/2016] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Pathogenic fungi have developed many strategies to evade the host immune system. Multiple escape mechanisms appear to function together to inhibit attack by the various stages of both the adaptive and the innate immune response. Thus, after entering the host, such pathogens fight to overcome the immune system to allow their survival, colonization and spread to different sites of infection. Consequently, the establishment of a successful infectious process is closely related to the ability of the pathogen to modulate attack by the immune system. Most strategies employed to subvert or exploit the immune system are shared among different species of fungi. In this review, we summarize the main strategies employed for immune evasion by some of the major pathogenic fungi.
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Affiliation(s)
- Caroline M Marcos
- Laboratório de Micologia Clínica, Departamento de Análises Clínicas, Faculdade de Ciências Farmacêuticas, Univ Estadual Paulista São Paulo, Brasil
| | - Haroldo C de Oliveira
- Laboratório de Micologia Clínica, Departamento de Análises Clínicas, Faculdade de Ciências Farmacêuticas, Univ Estadual Paulista São Paulo, Brasil
| | - Wanessa de Cássia M Antunes de Melo
- Laboratório de Micologia Clínica, Departamento de Análises Clínicas, Faculdade de Ciências Farmacêuticas, Univ Estadual Paulista São Paulo, Brasil
| | - Julhiany de Fátima da Silva
- Laboratório de Micologia Clínica, Departamento de Análises Clínicas, Faculdade de Ciências Farmacêuticas, Univ Estadual Paulista São Paulo, Brasil
| | - Patrícia A Assato
- Laboratório de Micologia Clínica, Departamento de Análises Clínicas, Faculdade de Ciências Farmacêuticas, Univ Estadual Paulista São Paulo, Brasil
| | - Liliana Scorzoni
- Laboratório de Micologia Clínica, Departamento de Análises Clínicas, Faculdade de Ciências Farmacêuticas, Univ Estadual Paulista São Paulo, Brasil
| | - Suélen A Rossi
- Laboratório de Micologia Clínica, Departamento de Análises Clínicas, Faculdade de Ciências Farmacêuticas, Univ Estadual Paulista São Paulo, Brasil
| | - Ana C A de Paula E Silva
- Laboratório de Micologia Clínica, Departamento de Análises Clínicas, Faculdade de Ciências Farmacêuticas, Univ Estadual Paulista São Paulo, Brasil
| | - Maria J S Mendes-Giannini
- Laboratório de Micologia Clínica, Departamento de Análises Clínicas, Faculdade de Ciências Farmacêuticas, Univ Estadual Paulista São Paulo, Brasil
| | - Ana M Fusco-Almeida
- Laboratório de Micologia Clínica, Departamento de Análises Clínicas, Faculdade de Ciências Farmacêuticas, Univ Estadual Paulista São Paulo, Brasil
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The Crystal Structure of Peroxiredoxin Asp f3 Provides Mechanistic Insight into Oxidative Stress Resistance and Virulence of Aspergillus fumigatus. Sci Rep 2016; 6:33396. [PMID: 27624005 PMCID: PMC5022050 DOI: 10.1038/srep33396] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/26/2016] [Accepted: 08/03/2016] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Invasive aspergillosis and other fungal infections occur in immunocompromised individuals, including patients who received blood-building stem cell transplants, patients with chronic granulomatous disease (CGD), and others. Production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) by immune cells, which incidentally is defective in CGD patients, is considered to be a fundamental process in inflammation and antifungal immune response. Here we show that the peroxiredoxin Asp f3 of Aspergillus fumigatus inactivates ROS. We report the crystal structure and the catalytic mechanism of Asp f3, a two-cysteine type peroxiredoxin. The latter exhibits a thioredoxin fold and a homodimeric structure with two intermolecular disulfide bonds in its oxidized state. Replacement of the Asp f3 cysteines with serine residues retained its dimeric structure, but diminished Asp f3's peroxidase activity, and extended the alpha-helix with the former peroxidatic cysteine residue C61 by six residues. The asp f3 deletion mutant was sensitive to ROS, and this phenotype was rescued by ectopic expression of Asp f3. Furthermore, we showed that deletion of asp f3 rendered A. fumigatus avirulent in a mouse model of pulmonary aspergillosis. The conserved expression of Asp f3 homologs in medically relevant molds and yeasts prompts future evaluation of Asp f3 as a potential therapeutic target.
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47
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Vermamoeba vermiformis-Aspergillus fumigatus relationships and comparison with other phagocytic cells. Parasitol Res 2016; 115:4097-4105. [PMID: 27381330 DOI: 10.1007/s00436-016-5182-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2016] [Accepted: 06/23/2016] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
Free living amoebae (FLA) are protists ubiquitously present in the environment. Aspergillus fumigatus is a mould responsible for severe deep-seated infections, and that can be recovered in the same habitats as the FLA. By conducting coculture experiments and fungal incubation with amoebal supernatants, we report herein that Vermamoeba vermiformis, a FLA present in hospital water systems, promotes filamentation and growth of A. fumigatus. This finding is of particular importance to institutions whose water systems might harbor FLA and could potentially be used by immunocompromised patients. Also, the relationships between V. vermiformis and A. fumigatus were compared to those between this fungus and two other phagocytic cells: Acanthamoeba castellanii, another FLA, and macrophage-like THP-1 cells. After 4 h of coincubation, the percentages of the three phagocytic cell types with adhered conidia were similar, even though the types of receptors between FLA and macrophagic cell seemed different. However, the percentage of THP-1 with internalized conidia was considerably lower (40 %) in comparison with the two other cell types (100 %). Thus, this study revealed that interactions between A. fumigatus and these three phagocytic cell types show similarities, even though it is premature to extrapolate these results to interpret relationships between A. fumigatus and macrophages.
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48
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Geib E, Gressler M, Viediernikova I, Hillmann F, Jacobsen I, Nietzsche S, Hertweck C, Brock M. A Non-canonical Melanin Biosynthesis Pathway Protects Aspergillus terreus Conidia from Environmental Stress. Cell Chem Biol 2016; 23:587-597. [DOI: 10.1016/j.chembiol.2016.03.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 56] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/17/2016] [Revised: 03/15/2016] [Accepted: 03/17/2016] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
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Kerr SC, Fischer GJ, Sinha M, McCabe O, Palmer JM, Choera T, Yun Lim F, Wimmerova M, Carrington SD, Yuan S, Lowell CA, Oscarson S, Keller NP, Fahy JV. FleA Expression in Aspergillus fumigatus Is Recognized by Fucosylated Structures on Mucins and Macrophages to Prevent Lung Infection. PLoS Pathog 2016; 12:e1005555. [PMID: 27058347 PMCID: PMC4825926 DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1005555] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/17/2015] [Accepted: 03/16/2016] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The immune mechanisms that recognize inhaled Aspergillus fumigatus conidia to promote their elimination from the lungs are incompletely understood. FleA is a lectin expressed by Aspergillus fumigatus that has twelve binding sites for fucosylated structures that are abundant in the glycan coats of multiple plant and animal proteins. The role of FleA is unknown: it could bind fucose in decomposed plant matter to allow Aspergillus fumigatus to thrive in soil, or it may be a virulence factor that binds fucose in lung glycoproteins to cause Aspergillus fumigatus pneumonia. Our studies show that FleA protein and Aspergillus fumigatus conidia bind avidly to purified lung mucin glycoproteins in a fucose-dependent manner. In addition, FleA binds strongly to macrophage cell surface proteins, and macrophages bind and phagocytose fleA-deficient (∆fleA) conidia much less efficiently than wild type (WT) conidia. Furthermore, a potent fucopyranoside glycomimetic inhibitor of FleA inhibits binding and phagocytosis of WT conidia by macrophages, confirming the specific role of fucose binding in macrophage recognition of WT conidia. Finally, mice infected with ΔfleA conidia had more severe pneumonia and invasive aspergillosis than mice infected with WT conidia. These findings demonstrate that FleA is not a virulence factor for Aspergillus fumigatus. Instead, host recognition of FleA is a critical step in mechanisms of mucin binding, mucociliary clearance, and macrophage killing that prevent Aspergillus fumigatus pneumonia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sheena C. Kerr
- Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California
| | - Gregory J. Fischer
- Department of Genetics, University of Wisconsin, Madison, Madison, Wisconsin
| | - Meenal Sinha
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California
| | - Orla McCabe
- Center for Synthesis and Chemical Biology, University College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Jonathan M. Palmer
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, University of Wisconsin, Madison, Madison, Wisconsin
| | - Tsokyi Choera
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, University of Wisconsin, Madison, Madison, Wisconsin
| | - Fang Yun Lim
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, University of Wisconsin, Madison, Madison, Wisconsin
| | - Michaela Wimmerova
- Faculty of Science and Central European Institute of Technology, Masaryk University, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Stephen D. Carrington
- Veterinary Science Centre, School of Agriculture, Food Science and Veterinary Medicine, University College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Shaopeng Yuan
- Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California
| | - Clifford A. Lowell
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California
| | - Stefan Oscarson
- Center for Synthesis and Chemical Biology, University College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Nancy P. Keller
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, University of Wisconsin, Madison, Madison, Wisconsin
| | - John V. Fahy
- Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California
- * E-mail:
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50
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Escobar N, Ordonez SR, Wösten HAB, Haas PJA, de Cock H, Haagsman HP. Hide, Keep Quiet, and Keep Low: Properties That Make Aspergillus fumigatus a Successful Lung Pathogen. Front Microbiol 2016; 7:438. [PMID: 27092115 PMCID: PMC4821987 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2016.00438] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/26/2016] [Accepted: 03/18/2016] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Representatives of the genus Aspergillus are opportunistic fungal pathogens. Their conidia can reach the alveoli by inhalation and can give rise to infections in immunocompromised individuals. Aspergillus fumigatus is the causal agent of invasive aspergillosis in nearly 90% of the cases. It is not yet well-established what makes this fungus more pathogenic than other aspergilli such as A. niger. Here, we show that A. fumigatus and A. niger conidia adhere with similar efficiency to lung epithelial A549 cells but A. fumigatus conidia internalized 17% more efficiently. Conidia of both aspergilli were taken up in phagolysosomes 8 h after the challenge. These organelles only acidified in the case of A. niger, which is probably due to the type of melanin coating of the conidia. Viability of both types of conidia was not affected after uptake in the phagolysosomes. Germination of A. fumigatus and A. niger conidia in the presence of epithelial cells was delayed when compared to conidia in the medium. However, germination of A. niger conidia was still higher than that of A. fumigatus 10 h after exposure to A549 cells. Remarkably, A. fumigatus hyphae grew mainly parallel to the epithelium, while growth direction of A. niger hyphae was predominantly perpendicular to the plane of the cells. Neutrophils reduced germination and hyphal growth of A. niger, but not of A fumigatus, in presence of epithelial cells. Taken together, efficient internalization, delayed germination, and hyphal growth parallel to the epithelium gives a new insight into what could be the causes for the success of A. fumigatus compared to A. niger as an opportunistic pathogen in the lung.
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Affiliation(s)
- Natalia Escobar
- Department of Microbiology, Institute of Biomembranes, Utrecht UniversityUtrecht, Netherlands
| | - Soledad R. Ordonez
- Department of Infectious Diseases and Immunology, Division Molecular Host Defence, Utrecht UniversityUtrecht, Netherlands
| | - Han A. B. Wösten
- Department of Microbiology, Institute of Biomembranes, Utrecht UniversityUtrecht, Netherlands
| | - Pieter-Jan A. Haas
- Department of Medical Microbiology, University Medical Center UtrechtUtrecht, Netherlands
| | - Hans de Cock
- Department of Microbiology, Institute of Biomembranes, Utrecht UniversityUtrecht, Netherlands
| | - Henk P. Haagsman
- Department of Infectious Diseases and Immunology, Division Molecular Host Defence, Utrecht UniversityUtrecht, Netherlands
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